Ranma Novel: The Enemy Within
by Tower of Babel
Summary: Centuries ago, one of Ranma's ancestors defeated a sadistic warlord and his army. Now the son of that warlord wants revenge and rises from the dead to do it, using Ranma's friends to complete his dark army to restore his Clan back to glory. COMPLETE!
1. Prologue

_**Ranma ½: The Enemy Within! Prologue**_

The storm seeded the entire area with a heavy downpour. Rain pelted down like silvers of glass upon a hard, rustic surface. Thunder crackled with deafening sound in the clouds and lightning shot across the sky like a bullet through the air, filling the night with unbelievable raw power!

Below this chaotic benevolence, located at the base of Mount Quanjing, in the Batankala Range, in the Qinghai Province of China -- lay the ancient grounds known as Jusenkyo, where a cursed group of pools brought with them a terrible consequence for whoever fell into them!

Damned and isolated, a Guide stood guard over them and warned any travelers of their terrible curse, but not tonight. He had retired for the evening due to the storm. But if he were here, he would have screeched at what he would behold. The entire area was flooded, and all the springs were intermixed.

A blinding, hot, white flash of lightning shot down from the clouds and hit the flood water. Its energy was absorbed, and within moments a crackling, green energy began to emanate beneath the surface. It pulsated with life and soon strings of hot green energy began to dance across its surface like streamers. And from this act came a supernatural energy of unprecedented magnitude!

This chaotic malevolence rose from the water in a pillar of violence energy. Blanked inside like a cocoon, it roared a horrible cry of pain and anguish. Taking human form, it stepped out of its cage and walked on the water until it reached solid ground. Then it rose in the air and took its place on a cliff overlooking the grounds. It looked down at Jusenkyo. It was free! Free of its eternal prison for which it was sentenced centuries ago to reside between world without rest.

It bellowed out a with a wraith centuries old, angry that it had lost so much time.

Born to the mortal world but condemned to a hellish limbo it waited for this day to come.

The storm had set it free and now it was free to reign its revenge upon that who had done this to it, an ancient foe that now lived in a new age. He was reborn with everything he needed to know. The souls who perished or who had fallen into Jusenkyo gave it the knowledge it needed. And there was something else it knew. It knew its enemy had also fallen prey to the curse of these springs. But unlike itself, its enemy had not died. The last of the bloodline of its enemy was alive!

"I will find you and I will kill you!" It shouted into the storm. "You will not be able to hide from me!"

Altering its form, its energy departed with the storm, leaving Jusenkyo to find its enemy, whispering the name… "_Saotome!"_

_**-- to be continued…**_


	2. Chapter 1

_**Ranma ½: The Enemy Within! Chapter I**_

_**Several Months Later…**_

In his dojo, on his property that was situated in a well populated urban district in the small town of Nerima, Oro Hiroshi, a very well-educated martial artist, spoke to his students. Inside, his twenty students listened intently to his every word. He stood while his students sat in a circle around him.

The Hiroshi Dojo was a prominent school of martial arts in the town of Nerima, second only to the Tendo Dojo in notoriety. But to date, it had more attention from students than the Tendo Dojo. The Tendo Dojo had no applicants, the Hiroshi Dojo had many. This class was one of five weekly classes.

"Wisdom," he started to say meaningfully, "is the martial artist's greatest weapon! You will never need a better tool than this to defeat his opponent. With it alone, you can achieve ultimate victory! It's the most important weapon you will have. Accurately summon up your enemy's weaknesses and exploit them. If you can summarily integrate both wisdom and your opponent's failing into an equation of strategy, there is no way your opponent can win! If you come out of my teachings remembering only that then I will consider your time here well spent. But hopefully, that's not all you will learn -- I hope?" He smirked, and there was a round of chuckling from his students. "Second, and this is also very important. Stay focused, and never lose your cool. C_arpe diem_ -- seize the day! If you see an opening, exploit it! Chances are it could be the only one you get!"

Oro Hiroshi continued to speak to his students and address the major issues of combat. Then he began to discuss the applications and advances of taking martial arts. After twenty minutes of lecturing to his students, he began to demonstrate some advanced techniques, a forthcoming of what to expect. For them, however, as they were his younger students and just starting out, he demonstrated some basic, starter techniques.

----

Outside the dojo, Ranma Saotome listened to the lesson. He was actually spying.

Ranma was an expert in martial arts, though he had no true rank in which to be judged. He had no trophies like that displaced on wall shelves in the Hiroshi Dojo that his advanced students had won in competitions, nor had he participated in any martial arts tournaments outside the mainstream fights he had inside the town of Nerima.

And yet, in his opinion, those tournaments were not a true testament to the fighting ability of a martial artist, they were merely showmanship. The only prize a martial artist needed was his self-respect. He had thought about entering some of the tournaments Oro Hiroshi was talking about to his students, but he was just too lazy to enter.

He was versed in a specialized martial arts, designed for an elite few, called Anything-Goes Martial Arts, and it was not like any normal teachings. They fortified techniques not taught in any textbook, and they were passed down from generation to generation from father to son. And some of the techniques were thousands of years old. If he did enter a tournament he'd wipe the floor with the competition -- it wouldn't be fair!

But as he continued to listen to Oro Hiroshi, he wondered if he was being selfish. The Tendo Dojo was in financial straits at the moment and maybe if he won some money in one of these tournaments he could help Mr. Tendo. But with fame and fortune came a price. And he liked his life just the way it was at the moment. He didn't want it to change.

He decided it was time to leave, he had heard enough.

----

Ryoga Hibiki considered himself a worthy martial artist, but he had one thing that was keeping him from becoming even better and that person was Ranma Saotome! If only he could defeat him, then he'd win the heart of his beloved Akane. But until that day came he'll remain in Ranma's shadow. There had to be someway of defeating him?

After a long and arduous journey across Japan, the lone warrior finally navigated back to Nerima, against the odds. He was elated, but he had left more than a month ago from his training grounds and that didn't please him.

He walked down the street, holding himself up with a stick. He was totally exhausted and hadn't eaten in nearly two days. He was about to faint from hunger when his noise caught the whiff of something delectable and very familiar. It was Okonomiyaki!

Then he saw a red curtain flapping in the wind to a familiar locale. It was Ukyo Kuonji's Okonomiyaki's Restaurant.

_FOOD! _He mentally cried out loudly, and started to cry.

He wiped the tears from his eyes and pressed on to the eatery.

He brushed back the entrance curtain and looked around at the corral of customers that filled the one-room restaurant. They were eating, laughing, talking, and overall having a good time in this place. Ukyo did well for herself here. This place probably made a lot of money. Then why in the world did she hang around a deadbeat like Ranma?

He took a seat in front of the frying table and dropped his dusty pack on the floor beside him. Ukyo stood behind the frying table flipping Okonomiyaki paddies. The aroma of her cooking was intoxicating. "Those smell great, Ukyo," he finally said.

She smiled. "Oh, hello sugar, long time no see," she said in her usual friendly tone. Sugar was her nickname for him. He never did ask why. "How long has it been this time?"

"A month," he replied back causally with a thin smile.

She noticed him staring at the Okonomiyaki, and without even asking him, she flipped one in the air, grabbed a plate, and it dropped down in the centre right in front of him. "Here ya go, sugar," she said, "you look like you could use something to eat."

He started to cry. He put his arm to his eyes and said, "You're so kind, Ukyo."

Tears dripped down onto the Okonomiyaki, and she noticed this. "Eat it, don't cry into it," she said.

He wiped his nose with his sleeve and took a set of chopsticks and started to eat. He was hungry, but he had manners and ate it slowly to partake in every bite. Once he was finished, he smiled at her and asked for another one. She gladly gave him one.

When he was finished with that one, he felt his belly and sipped some green tea she gave him. "I'm in your debt, Ukyo," he said. "Is there anything I can do to repay you? And I won't take no for an answer. I'm a man of honor. I always repay a debt."

"On the house, you look like you needed it," he said.

"No, no… I can't accept that. I'll bust tables, sweep the floor -- anything!"

"Tell ya what, I'll take a rein check, okay?"

Ryoga smiled. "Deal," he said. "But I won't forget this. It's bad Karma if I do!"

It was at this time that Ranma walked in and took a seat on a stool next to Ryoga. "Hey buddy, nice ta see ya! Been what, a month now? How long were you lost for this time?" he said jokingly, grinning big. He gave Ryoga a pat on the shoulder.

Ryoga shrugged him off. "None of your business, Saotome!" he said foully.

Ranma snorted annoyed. "Fine, whatever, see if I care," he said, turning to Ukyo. "One order of your best Okonomiyaki with the works. I'm starving!" he said to her, smiling.

Ryoga finished his green tea and then prepared to leave. He reached for his pack and accidentally bumped Ranma's leg. Ranma took offense to it and said, "Watch it, bacon-butt."

"Don't ever call me that again, Ranma!" he said angry.

"Ooo, I'm scared," he said sarcastically. "Go back to where you came from, Ryoga, and the next time you return, ditch the attitude." He waved him off.

Ryoga's eyes narrowed in a hateful manner as he looked at Ranma. "I'll see you on the battlefield, Ranma," he said. "The stars are aligned for your defeat to finally happen, I can feel it. Soon, very soon, you'll fall at my feet and beg for mercy!"

Ranma laughed. "Keeping dreamin, bud!" he said. "But I accept your challenge, Ryoga. Just name the time and place and I'll be there. Just give me plenty of warning first, 'kay? I don't wanna hafta wait 'round for ya." He turned around and took a bite of his Okonomiyaki.

Ryoga growled angry at him. "How 'bout right 'ere and now?" he said, dropping his pack.

Ranma looked back at him with a full mouth. "Can't you see I'm eating?" he said, talking from the side of his mouth. "I came 'ere to eat, not fight. I'll fight you later."

"How dare you refuse my challenge!"

"He's not refusing it, Ryoga," Ukyo explained. "You two can have your fight later. And besides, this is a restaurant and you're creating a scene."

Of course, she would be on his side, wouldn't she? She's his fiancée, after all, one of many if he recalled.

Ryoga snorted angry, grabbed his pack and then stormed out of the restaurant.

"Man, he's so annoying sometimes," Ranma said, after taking a sip of tea Ukyo gave him to compliment the Okonomiyaki. "He hates me so much. I said I was sorry. What more does the guy want? I can't turn back time. Tried that already!"

"You have a lot of enemies, Ran-Chan," she said. "But Ryoga's the worst of them. You'll have to fight him eventually."

"Yeah, I know… can we get on another subject now?" he said, sighing.

"What's wrong, Ran-Chan?" Ukyo asked.

And he told her about Mr. Tendo's financial debt.

_**--to be continued…**_


	3. Chapter 2

_**Ranma ½: The Enemy Within! Chapter 2**_

Ryoga walked along a long stretch of road on his way to the Tendo Dojo. But in fact, it was leading him in the opposite direction of his intentioned destination, to a completely different part of town.

He thought he knew where he was going because he had wandered the town countless times before and thought he had formed an accurate mental map, but he was wrong. Instead, he came across the concrete enclosure to another dojo, the Hiroshi Dojo.

He had never seen this dojo before, but apparently it was very popular. When he looked through the archway entrance he saw that the entire courtyard was filled with students all wearing white gi's lined up in four lines listening to a tall man who was probably their sensei. Was this dojo new?

He stopped for a moment and listened to the lesson, but from what he heard -- it was child's play! What the sensei was teaching was the basic principles of martial arts and its acute applications. It was nothing new to Ryoga.

It looked like he had arrived near the end of their lesson, because soon the students dispersed and they entered the large, square dojo building in the back. The sensei did not follow them.

He turned and looked at Ryoga.

"You there!" he said to him. Ryoga jerked startled and pointed a finger at himself. "Yes… you." He smiled. "Please, come in." Ryoga approached him. "I noticed you were listening to the lesson."

"I was just passing through, I didn't mean to bother you," Ryoga said.

"It was no bother," he said. "Tell me, did it interest you?"

"It was mildly interesting, but nothing I haven't heard before from my father."

"Are you a martial artist?"

"Yes."

"What rank do you hold?"

"Rank? None."

"What is your skill level?"

"I just practice it, I don't measure my skill."

"What dojo do you belong to?"

"None, officially. But I often reside at the Tendo Dojo."

"So you're a student of Soun Tendo?"

"No, just an acquaintance. I'm a friend of the family."

"What's your name?"

"Ryouga," he said.

"I am Oro Hiroshi, owner of the Hiroshi Dojo. Welcome." He smiled friendly.

"I've never heard of this dojo before, is it new?"

"Yes, a few months now. I have over a hundred students, from beginners to advanced. I'm always on the look out for new blood, care for a tour?"

Ryouga shook his head. "No thanks, I train myself," he said.

"I never said you had to sign up, but if you're not interested then that's your prerogative."

Ryouga suddenly felt guilty. This man had offered to show him around his new dojo and he had flat out refused his kind offer? That's not the way a mature martial artist acted. He should have more respect for his elders. "On second thought, I'll take you up on your offer." If only not to sound rude.

Oro Hiroshi smiled. "Good, you won't regret it," he said.

He lead Ryouga across his spacious property and into his dojo. From Ryouga's perspective, it was twice the size of the Tendo Dojo. Next to him, next to the change rooms was a room designed for exercise equipment, and when he entered the actual dojo, near the back of the building, he couldn't believe how spacious it was. There was enough room to house twenty students at a time comfortably.

Something caught his eye and he saw several large glass cases of trophies standing up against the left wall. He wandered over and looked at them. From the inscriptions they were won by his students in several tournaments over the last five of years. "Impressive," he finally said honestly.

"My dojo has won over a dozen tournaments over the last five years," Oro Hiroshi said. "Unfortunately, I had to relocate due to problems beyond my control. But I won't get into that."

"But winning trophies doesn't make a martial artist, it takes dedication and equally hard work."

This time Oro Hiroshi was impressed. "You show wisdom, Ryouga!" he said. "A well balanced martial artist doesn't care about materialist wares and trophies to prove that he's wiser than his peers. Your father must be very proud of you?"

"My father is dead, he died a long time ago," Ryouga said with a thin frown.

"I'm sorry, what was his name?" But before Ryouga could say it, Hiroshi said, "Wait a minute! The face and eyes are a dead giveaway. I knew you looked familiar from the moment I saw you. You wouldn't be Taiotasha Hibiki's son, would you?"

Ryouga's eyebrows lurched in surprise. "Yes, that is father's name, but how do you know that?" he said.

"You're his son alright, you look just like him," Hiroshi said.

"My father always said I looked like my mother," Ryoga said.

"Father's always say that, it's a common trait among men," Oro Hiroshi said. "They never want to admit their son's look like them, because there's always something they dislike about themselves and they don't want to pass that trait down to their children. I knew your father all the way back in junior high school, we were classmates. He was an avid martial artist even back then, and he won a lot of tournaments. I was impressed with his talent. I bet he showed you a lot of his trophies, must like these?"

"He did, but he always said trophies don't make the martial artist, heart does."

"And he's absolutely right," Hiroshi said. "These are mere trinkets and bobbles won by my students, but I'm proud of each and every one. They tell me that all my hard work is paying off. And it shows that I'm giving something back to the community. I'm teaching kids that there is a better way to vent their frustration and anger in a world where darkness and despair looms around every corner."

"It's a cruel, dark world out there," Ryoga agreed.

"And why would you say something like that?"

"Because it is," he said. "And I'm trapped in it."

"A kid like you shouldn't feel trapped. Forgive me for being intrusive, but would you like to tell me what's bothering you?" Ryouga looked at him confused. "Your eyes say you're troubled about something. Perhaps talking about it would alleviate some of the tension."

Ryouga shook his head, and then proceeded to walk away. "Did I say something wrong?" he asked.

"It was nice meeting with an old friend of my father's, but I gotta go," Ryouga said.

"No, please stay," Hiroshi said. "It's been so long since I saw Taiotasha, I would to know how he died."

Ryouga looked back at him with sad eyes. "He died of a heart attack in his sleep," he said.

Oro Hiroshi sighed sad. "I'm sorry for you," he said. "I know how much is hurts to loose a father. My father died when I was only nine years old. It devastated me and I spent weeks alone in my room crying. I was angry at the world for taking him away from me. But I learned a valuable lesson from that experience, Ryouga, and this'll pertain to you as well. Whatever doesn't kill me, makes me stronger!"

"My father said that once when he broke his leg during a tournament when this sumo of a guy made an illegal move during the final match, but as the referee didn't see it he had to forfeit and lost the match. But a couple of months later when he was fully healed, he faced the same guy again and beat him. He was very proud of that and that's what I remember about my father most for, 'cause he never gave up!"

"Your father was a very courageous and an intelligent fighter and I owe him everything. He taught me everything I know. The last time I saw your father I decided to move here. I thought to give him a call just this week, but I got tied up with other business and I forget. I wish I knew of his passing, I would've come to his funeral."

"He's buried underneath a tall tree in the cemetery of my home town," Ryouga said. "And if I can ever find my way home again I want to go visit him."

Oro Hiroshi paused for a moment, then said puzzled, "If you can every find your way home again?"

"Yeah. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I have a terrible sense of direction. I stumbled on your dojo by mistake. I was trying to find the Tendo Dojo. But I must've taken a wrong turn somewhere?"

Oro Hiroshi started to laugh. "You are your father's son," he said. "Taiotasha always got lost, too! When we were kids, I drew him a map of town. But he still couldn't find his way around. We tried everything to help him, but he was a hopeless case. Eventually he took classes to help improve his memory."

"Maybe there's hope for me then?" Ryouga said smirking.

"There's always hope," Hiroshi said smiling.

Just then, there was break in the conversion, as some of Hiroshi's students exited the change room. After saying good-by to him, they then left the dojo.

"Mr. Hiroshi, if you don't mind, could you tell me about my father?" Ryouga asked. "You know more about him than I ever did."

"What would you like to know?"

"Anything you can tell me. You two were childhood friends, you must have some stories?"

"I have lots of stories," Oro Hiroshi said. "Come in the house and I'll get you a cup of tea, then I'll tell you anything you want to know about your father."

Ryoga grinned, and then followed Oro Hiroshi out of the dojo.

_**-- to be continued…**_


	4. Chapter 3

_**Ranma ½: The Enemy Within! Chapter III**_

The greatest money making idea of all time! He called it. But Nabiki just laughed. She knew how to make money and Ranma's idea to raise funds to help the dojo out of financial strait was just laughable. But Ranma thought it was a brilliant idea. He had talked it over with Ukyo, and she agreed to help.

"You really are clueless, aren't you, Ranma?" Nabiki said.

He crossed his arms and snorted irritated at her remark. "Fine! What's your idea then?" he said.

"I don't have one yet," she said. "But the right opportunity hasn't cropped up yet."

"I think it has merit," Kasami rang in, as she brought a cup of hot tea for her father in the tea room. They were all sitting around the eating table, having snacks and tea. "I think we should try it."

"Thanks Kasumi," Ranma smiled thin. "At least I'm not completely alone in this house."

"But it's easier said than done," Kasumi said.

"Right," Nabiki agreed. "It's not economically viable, we don't have the money to make it work."

"Okay, there's a few snags, but it's a good plan. Trust me." Ranma smiled. "We advertise in the local newspaper for a few weeks to trump up some business."

"Why not hand out fliers to would-be students on the street like you did before?" Kasumi said.

"Because I don't want a bunch of horny guys joining just to get a look at my girl breasts," Ranma said. "I'm trying to get some notoriety for the Tendo Dojo. I want to be professional. Teach others with legitimacy and with respect like the martial artist I am. And not for having buxom breasts."

"When ya got it, flaunt it, I always say," Nabiki said.

"Nabiki," Kasumi said shocked. "Ranma's being serious, but you do have a point."

Ranma looked at her with a stunned look on his face. "I thought you were on my side?" he said.

"Nabiki does have a point, why not go with what works? You drummed up a lot of business for the dojo the last time we needed money, why not go with the latter? Sex sells. Everyone knows that."

Ranma was in total shock. He was speechless that the whole family suggested he use his sexy girl looks to bring in money. What was next? He wondered. Should he just stand out on a street corner and wink at guys for a quick romp in the sack? He wasn't a prostitute, nor was he into guys. So there was absolutely no way he was going to do anything of that nature to help Mr. Tendo out!

"I'm surprised you'd say something like that, Kasumi-dear," Soun Tendo said. "But on the other hand Nabiki has an excellent point, too! I believe in a respectable business, son, and you have a very good idea, however, unfortunately, it will cost too much money, money I can't afford to fork out right now on a whim. We need a way to make some money without it costing us a yen."

Ranma snorted out frustration and then grabbed a pork bun off the table and began eating it.

"I have to admit I wouldn't the first one to endorse Ranma's idea, they're usually so dumb and stupid," Akane said, chiming in, "but I think it could work and I have an idea where it won't cost us a yen." She had everyone's attention. "Why not advertise in the school newspaper? It's free."

"That's a good idea, Akane," Kasumi smiled, finally sitting down.

Ranma grinned big. "For a tomboy, you have some pretty good ideas every once in a while," he said.

She looked at him with narrow, angry eyes. "I'll take that as a compliment, Ranma," she said.

Soun Tendo began to blubber, cry in his sleeve. "Oh, thank you, everyone," he said. "You're all trying so hard to help me out of my financial burden. I don't know how to thank you!"

"Think nothin' of it, Mr. Tendo, I'm glad to help," Ranma said, smiled.

"And when did you become the self-sacrificing type?" Akane said.

"I'm just tryin' to help out your dad, what's the problem with that?"

"You're only doing this to gain something, aren't you?"

"Am not."

"Are too!"

"Am NOT!"

"ARE too!"

They snarled at each other and gritted their teeth, like animals baring their fangs to show the other who is the Alpha. But when it came to those two, they both felt they held that position.

Ranma's father, in Panda form, held up a sign, which he had quickly written on a piece of ply board with a marker, that said, "STOP IT, YOU TWO! Be civil!"

They both saw it, and snorted "Hupmf!" Then they turned away from the other.

"Tell me something, Ranma," Nabiki began. "What brought about this idea to make money for the dojo, other than the obvious? I sense a hidden agenda here. Does it have something to do with the Hiroshi Dojo, that just opened up a few months ago? Jealous? I've noticed you spending a lot of time over there lately."

"You haven't switched sides, have you, son?" Soun Tendo's voice sounded angry.

Ranma waved his hands in front of him. "No, no, nothing' like that," he said. "I'm just spyin'. I wanna see what's so popular about that place. Did ya know he has nearly a hundred students?"

Kasumi was agape in amazement. "That many? That's incredible for a dojo around here! Normally any dojo I've visited are for family use only. How did Oro Hiroshi get that many students?"

"He advertised in the local newspaper," Ranma said. "I over heard a couple of students talking about how they joined and where they heard about the dojo."

"Ah, now it makes sense," Akane said. "And you believe if we advertise in the local newspaper we can accomplish the same thing? First of all, our dojo isn't big enough to house a hundred students, and second, it would be too much for dad, no offense, dad."

Soun Tendo smiled. "None taken," he said.

"Then I'll take the burden," Ranma said.

Genma Saotome came out from the kitchen with a kettle and then poured it over his head. He changed from a Panda to human. Water dripped down his clothes and onto the hardwood floor. "Your idea has merit, boy, but you're lacking the proper execution," he said. "There's no way you can handle that many, even if you were certified to teach. Which you're not. Tendo is the only one certified to teach at his dojo."

"Then I'll get certified," Ranma said. "Mr. Tendo can certify me to teach here, can't you, Mr. Tendo?"

"Hum, I guess I could," he said smiling, rubbing the back of his head. "But you'll have to go through a series of rigorous trails to prove to me that you can handle the responsibility of taking over the dojo." Then he grinned big. "I'm glad you're showing initiative, son! Once you marry my daughter, the dojo will be yours."

"You mean I have to marry Akane to be certified?"

"C'mom, boy!" Genma said. "Do it for your father."

"I'd rather live on the street."

"That can be arranged," Akane said, looking angry. "One less free-loader in our house."

"You'd like that, wouldn't ya! Well, touch luck! I ain't leavin'!"

Akane took her glass of tea which was cold and splashed it in Ranma's face. He changed into a girl. His girl breasts sprouted and his girlish charm and sweet face emerged from a completely opposite person. It was then that Nabiki got a totally ingenious idea!

Ranma snarled at her. "Hey! What's go an do that fer!

Soun Tendo sighed depressed.

"Cheer up, daddy," Nabiki said smiling. "Fortune favors the foolish."… and I believe that lady luck has just smiled upon us in the form of a buxom, sexy, young, red-head girl by the name of Ranma Saotome.

_**-- to be continued…**_


	5. Chapter 4

_**THE ENEMY WITHIN - PART 4**_

It was late at night and Ryoga slept in one of the spare bedrooms in Oro Hiroshi's house. But he could not get to sleep because he was bursting with warm thoughts of his father and his mind flooded with all the stories Mr. Hiroshi had told him. The stories reinforced his memories of his father, of how great a fighter he was, and of how he so much desired to be like him when he grew up.

Ryoga loved his father and missed him very much. The bright, yellow bandanna he wore brought him strength, and it was the only thing he had brought with him as a reminder of his father on his long, tenuous training journeys. Without it, Ryoga did not think he could have become the great and powerful martial artist he had become.

It was his father's bandanna when he was growing up, and he wore it during his fights. A week before he died he gave it to Ryoga. He told Ryoga it would bring him good luck. And it served as Ryoga well, acting like a good luck charm as he grew into a man. He never fought without.

There was one time when he was training in the lower mountains of Japan when he thought he lost it. He had taken it off to wash it and let it dry on a rock in the sun as he went swimming in a stream. When he went to retrieve it, it was gone. He searched high and low for it, but he could not find it. Finally he found it. It had fallen down a crack between two rocks and was submerged underwater. That was the first and last time he ever let it leave his sight.

But having the bandanna was nothing like having his father with him. Mr. Hiroshi's stories about his father made all his memories about his father flood back. All the good times he had with his father and all the times he missed out, either because he was not born yet or he was just too young to participate. Now he could relive his father's glory days in his mind, and recall them anytime he wanted. He considered himself fortunate to encounter Mr. Hiroshi here in Nerima, almost as if fate had sent him.

Ryoga opened his eyes and stared out into the darkness of the room. He could not sleep. He lay on a mattress in the middle of the mid-sized room, and the glow of the moon came in from an open, non-curtained window. The room was not furbished, and all that was in there was him, his pack, and what Mr. Hiroshi had given him to sleep on, with.

His mouth felt dry so he got up and left the room to get a drink of water. The upstairs bathroom was down the hallway so he walked barefoot, wearing a pair of night pants and a sleeveless yellow t-shirt, that he always wore to bed. It was a ratty old shirt, but he could not afford to buy new clothes, using all of the money he made doing odd jobs just for food. All he could do was patch it up and hope it was enough.

And just for a second he contemplated staying and becoming a part of Mr. Hiroshi's dojo, to earn some money by entering a tournament he had told him when they had talked, like Mr. Hiroshi and his father had done years before. Maybe it was time to stop seeking what he could not have, trying to defeat Ranma Saotome, and hoping to marry Akane Tendo, to lower his expectations, and settle for something other than what he desired.

No, he was fooling himself. He could never forget about Akane, and he could never forget what Ranma had done to him, for ruining his life by giving him this curse, that of a small, black, drowned piglet, from Jusenkyo.

He visited the bathroom, drank a glass of water, urinated, and then just because he felt like it, ventured downstairs and entered Oro Hiroshi's dojo. Here he had a closer look inside the dojo, turning on the lights. Ryoga smiled at a picture of his father and Mr. Hiroshi in their gi's just after they had won a double-bill match for which they won the joint effect trophy Mr. Hiroshi had shown, and tried to give him, earlier.

And he felt the same as he had when he first said it: that a prize should he earned and not given, or it was not an honor to keep. But he just could not stop from going over and holding it. It was a large, gold plated trophy with a small martial arts figurine on top, performing a high kick. On the plaque it read: Sky Regional Tournament Champions, Taiotasha Hibiki & Oro Hiroshi, Tokyo, Japan. They had won it when they were teenagers.

"Reminiscing Ryoga? Or merely fantasizing?" Oro Hiroshi said smiling, and his voice started Ryoga. It almost made him drop the trophy, fumbling it and catching it before it hit the ground. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Ryoga put it back on the shelf where he found it. "Can't sleep?"

Ryoga nodded. "All those stories you told me about my father, they're keeping me awake, but in a good way. I get so excited when I talk about my father. He was my hero when I was a kid and my inspiration now. I'm impressed by all the trophies you won over the years. You must be a really good martial artist."

"I think you have the makings of one too, Ryoga," Oro Hiroshi said. "If only you would focus on your goal instead of being distracted, you could win trophies and winnings like I did. But that's right, you're not interested in this sort of stuff, you're only concern is revenge."

"I've been thinking about your offer to join your dojo, but I don't know, it's not what I want in life," Ryoga said. "And I do have set goals, I just have a different method to achieve them. But maybe it's time I stopped running from my troubles and just face them."

"Now that's the son of the friend I knew, your father would never run from trouble either. But he also knew enough to walk away." Ryoga looked to the floor. "You need guidance and I'm willing to give it to you, to bring what you desire closer to your finger tips. I can help you achieve your goals and make you into a stronger martial artist. But you must make that decision for yourself, I can't force you."

"I know, but I'm not sure. I'm a loner."

"You don't have to be, you can be a part of my family."

"I have a family, my Mother."

"Of course. What I meant was, you can become a member of my dojo and together we can make you the fighter you want to become, and defeat this martial artist you dislike. You need to begin the healing process and let go of the blackness in your heart. You must never use the Lion Roar Shot again as well if you are to begin to heal. I'm telling you this because I can show you a move that's even greater and uses positive energy to attack instead of negative. You're a good kid, Ryoga, and I'd hate to see you live a life of solitude and despair. I'll show you how to bring out the power of your father in you." There was a short pause. "If you'll let me?" And extended a hand of friendship.

Ryoga was almost brought to tears by Mr. Hiroshi's words and shook Oro Hiroshi's hand without hesitation.

"First, show me your martial art skills," Oro Hiroshi smiled thin.

"What here?" Ryoga questioned. "It's the middle of the night, we'd wake up the neighbors with all the noise."

"Not in my dojo."

And all of sudden the front door slammed shut and the window shutter on the far left wall closed with a bang. Ryoga jumped from the noise they made and wondered how Oro Hiroshi did it. Did he use some sort of remote control device to close them? Was his dojo just that advanced?

He looked back to Mr. Hiroshi and noticed a strange smirk on his face. "Mr. Hiroshi, what's going on?" he asked.

An invisible force threw Ryoga from Oro Hiroshi and he rolled backwards to the far wall. He felt his head when he sat upright, looking back at Oro Hiroshi. Oro Hiroshi had changed. He went from a nice, friendly middle-aged man, to something that looked possessed and demon-like. Who was this person? Was this the real Oro Hiroshi?

Ryoga got to his feet. "You're not Oro Hiroshi," he said. "I sense another presence in that body. What have you done with Mr. Hiroshi?"

"He is quite safe, caged in the recesses of his mind until I chose to let him out with no memory of what transpires," the presence that spoke from Oro Hiroshi's body said. "Now, Ryoga Hibiki, show me what you've learned in your years of training, and prove to me you're worthy of being a martial artist. I have fought many warriors who have claimed to be all-powerful, but each one failed to defeat me in battle, and fell at my feet, dead and bloodied. I killed all of them!"

Ryoga got into his offensive stance, ready to fight. "I'm not your typical martial artist, whoever you are. Defeating me won't be easy!"

The presence laughed.

Ryoga attacked!

**To Be Continued. . .**


	6. Chapter 5

_The Enemy Within - Part 5_

"You're a scared little man, Ryoga," Oro Hiroshi, or rather the demon that now possessed him, said. "You're just like your father, weak-minded and easily manipulated. Like father, like son." He laughed.

Ryoga attacked him, but the demon raised a hand, and a sudden, tremendous gust of wind came up out of nowhere and threw him to the back of the Hiroshi Dojo. He landed with a hard thud against the wall.

This was not going to be like any fighter Ryoga had faced before, he was up again a demon with supernatural powers, and he had no defense against that. Or did he? He could use his Lion Roar Shot against him. But it was powered by negative ki, and did he have enough? Did he have a enough negative ki? That was a laugh. Of course he did. His whole life was a sad story, and he could use that to his advantage. All he had to do to was recollect all the times he lost to Ranma and the missed opportunities with Akane, and all his negativity and anger would began to build. Then he could use it against the demon.

"You've done it now, demon," Ryoga said, as he rose from the floor. "To insult me is one thing, but to insult my father is another. Prepare for a martial arts move like none you've ever seen before: The Lion Roar Shot!"

But if he could, he would try not to hurt Mr. Hiroshi. That was his body the demon possessed. So he decided to start off with a less powerful burst and hope that will send the demon packing.

The negative ki grew and a dark arora surrounded Ryoga. Darkness penetrated his heart and his entire body was engulfed in its dark abyss. He had learned to control the Lion Roar Shot while training and now he was its master instead of it mastering him. It did have one weakness, but Ranma was the only one who managed to beat him with it, and that was with a positive ki. This demon did not have a positive ki.

"This should be interesting," the demon said, and crossed his arms in amusement, as if knowing something Ryoga did not know.

Ryoga launched his attack with the Lion Roar Shot, firing off a huge ball of negative ki, blowing off the roof of the dojo. His face was blank, all the emotion drained out of him - he was like a zombie. The demon looked at Ryoga, both curious and bewildered at his face. A martial arts move that drained all the ki out of the user?

Then the demon saw the huge ball of ki above him, and it dropped with a thunderous clap upon them both. The demon hit the ground hard, while Ryoga remained standing, without any damage. The demon could not believe it, he had never before witnessed such power in its existence.

Ryoga came out of his daze and looked at the demon laying face first on the floor, and smiled with a sinister enjoyment. "And that was merely a small taste of my power," he said. "Now leave Oro Hiroshi's body!"

"Impressive!" the demon spoke. "I may've underestimated you. You're nothing like your father, you may even be more powerful than he. But I also have powers the likes you've never seen, and they're far more devastating than your Lion Roar Shot, I assure you."

"Like I said, defeating me won't be easy!" Ryoga said. "If need be I'll destroy Oro Hiroshi to kill you."

"You're bluffing, Ryoga, I can see it in your eyes. You care for Oro Hiroshi despite the short time you've spent with him. And I've seen inside your heart. Even though you use the Lion Roar Shot, you care too much for life to destroy it. That makes you weak, and easy to conquer. There's only one person you'd kill to satisfy your thirst for revenge and that's that martial artist you despise so much. And I can use that."

"Use it, how?" Ryoga wondered.

The demon rose its hands and it too generated a ball of negative ki. Terrible winds rose with this energy and Ryoga could feel its evil. It grew as large as his Lion Roar Shot had, even bigger, until it eclipsed the moon that shone brightly in the sky. But it was not the Lion Roar Shot, it looked like it, but it was something else entirely. The energy was different. But if it came down in the same manner, it's power would be equally devastating. But if it used the same method, it could be beaten, and he began to calm his mind and push away any emotion that it could use against him. The ball of ki came down, and did nothing. It dissipated around them, and both Ryoga and the demon were unharmed.

The demon was awe-struck at what had just happened. He stuttered out a few words: "H-how did you do that?" And Ryoga merely replied by folding his arms over his chest, and with a smirk. "Smug little bastard, aren't you? But no matter, that was nothing compared to the rest of my powers."

"You were mistaken trying to use a cheap imitation of the Lion Roar Shot on me," Ryoga said. "I've mastered it and know its weakness. And now you'll learn what it means to make me angry. There's nothing on earth that'll save you now. I'm gonna destroy you for good!" Then the demon laughed. Ryoga eyed him curiously. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"You can't defeat me," the demon said. "I can not be killed, I'm already dead." He laughed again. "And over the centuries I've learned to harness the power of the netherworld and use it to my advantage."

"What do you mean?"

The demon sent out a sudden thrust of demonic energy at Ryoga and it threw him across the dojo and through the back wall, or what was left of it after Ryoga had demolished the roof with his Lion Roar Shot. And due to the super structure of the wall being unsound it collapsed onto Ryoga, burying him under its rubble.

"Pathetic," the demon said. "You were never a match for me."

Suddenly the ground shook violently and the floor of the dojo erupted in an explosive blast of debris and masonry. And in earthquake like fashion the ground cracked apart, sending a force like no other towards the demon. It was Ryoga's Breaking Point technique.

The ground exploded from underneath the demon, sending massive debris into his face, and created a massive sinkhole that dropped the demon deep into the earth, and buried him with dirt and debris. Ryoga crawled out of from underneath the north wall that had fallen on top of him, and stood as overseer of what he had done. "I'm sorry, Mr. Hiroshi, but the demon inside you gave me no choice. Rest In Peace." He said, feeling remorse for what he had done.

But a second after he said that he sensed that the demon had not perished, and it emerged from the debris, climbing out of the sinkhole. It looked at him with a fire burning in its eyes. It had made the demon angry, but it gave Ryoga no choice. The Breaking Point technique was not his best move, but it was a devastating one, especially to someone who did not know about it. Still, it did not do the job.

He knew now that his belief earlier in defeating the demon without harming Mr. Hiroshi was a false one. He would have to implement everything he had into killing this thing before it could complete its scheme, whatever it was. He still did not know why it possessed Mr. Hiroshi. What did he have that the demon wanted? Was it because he was a martial artist? Or was it because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time? Regardless of how, the demon had to be stopped.

"Your reign of controlling Mr. Hiroshi ends here, demon!" Ryoga said.

The demon was kneeing on one knee, cupping its right kneecap, injured by the fall down the sinkhole. It's cheek was cut open on the left side, and blood streamed down his face from the wound. The wound was deep, but the demon did not seem to care. Ryoga also had a few cuts and bruises, but his adrenaline was negating any pain.

The demon laughed. "I've never encountered anyone with your determination before, Ryoga, you're quite a martial artist," the demon said, confusing Ryoga with the compliment. The demon had just been severely battered by Ryoga and now he was offering his congratulations? At least it was not a sore loser. But it was not over yet. "But you're still nowhere in my league. Time to be crushed!"

The demon then rose to his feet, the pain in his knee no longer a factor, and extended his arms out in front of him. He cupped his hands together and then pulled them apart, generating a ball of dark ki between his palms, separating them no more than a foot apart. It was nothing like the Lion Roar Shot he had attempted to copy earlier, this was something new, and far more deadly. It was small, but its power would more than make up for its size. Ryoga began to generate a ball of ki to counteract the attack, but the demon knew it was going to be impossible for the kid to stop this one. This power was five centuries in the making, and no one can stop a demon's power.

The demon fired it at Ryoga and Ryoga fired his ball of ki at the demon. The two hit with a thunderous bang, but almost immediately Ryoga's ball of ki was swallowed up by the demon's and the demon's attack soared towards Ryoga hitting him square in the chest, throwing him through the brick enclosure of Oro Hiroshi's property.

The demon went over to the wall and saw Ryoga laying face down, partially covered with debris. He could hear Ryoga's faint heart beating, and knew the kid was still alive. He reached down and grabbed Ryoga's hair, lifting his head up, and said, "You're a strong one, but like everyone else who has crossed my path, you too fell to my power. But I can use you. You'd make the perfect general to lead my army. And as I train my troops, you can seek out the one I desire to kill."

He picked up Ryoga and carried him inside the house, and down into the basement where he strapped Ryoga to a table, binding his arms, legs, wrist and neck to a wooden table, and brought it erect. Ryoga moaned, and opened his eyes, his vision blurred. He could not move.

"What's going on?" he demanded. "Let me go!"

"You're in no position to be making demands, my future general."

"Future general? Wha--?"

"You've been chosen to lead my army of evil minions, and with you at my side, there will be no one to stop us."

"I'll never serve you."

"I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice, Ryoga." The demon smiled, displaying a large grin that frightened Ryoga.

Ryoga struggled to free himself from his binds, but to no avail. He was trapped and at the whim of this demon. The demon grabbed Ryoga's head and through whatever method, the demon attempted to bend his will, some sort of brainwashing. Ryoga screamed to make him stop and fought for hours against the power. But in the end the demon won and Ryoga was his.

The demon freed Ryoga, and he knelt before the demon. His eyes without emotion, without life, without care or desire. Whatever the demon told him, Ryoga would obey. Even if it meant his own sacrifice. The demon smiled. "Now my minion, you will forget everything you have seen and heard about my using this body as a vessel," the demon said. "And as for the destruction of Oro Hiroshi's dojo, you will explain to him that you did it as you practiced late last night. You will say you used the Lion Roar Shot, which will not be a lie. You will offer to help rebuild it."

"Yes," Ryoga said.

"Now go to bed."

Ryoga rose to his feet and returned to his room on the second floor, and went back to sleep. The demon also returned upstairs, but before getting into bed, used its powers to heal Oro Hiroshi's injures, so the story it told Ryoga would ring true, and any evidence of the demon using his body during the night would not be evident. It then returned to the deep recesses of Oro Hiroshi's mind.

To be continued. . .


	7. Chapter 6

**__**

RANMA ½: THE ENEMY WITHIN - PART 7

Nabiki Tendo snuck into Ranma's room as he slept late at night and stood above the now buxom girl, laying half-naked, her sheets curled up in a ball beside her. Ranma had an incident with Happosai just before he went to bed and got splashed with cold water turning him into his other self. Ranma didn't bother showering to change back, and that was just fine with Nibiki. It saved her some time.

In Nabiki's hands was a camera. Ranma had asked her to do anything she could to make money for the ad the dojo was to put in the local newspaper to advertise for business and this was how she was going to make that money. There were a lot of horny guys at school who would die to have pictures of a sexy, young girl in her underwear, and Ranma was her subject matter. Some of his closest friends knew of his curse and wouldn't touch them, but other unknowing guys would.

There was one guy in particular that would give a king's ransom for one snapshot and Nabiki was preying on his lust and desire for the 'pig-tailed' one to buy them all. Without doing an ounce of work she could make the money to pay for the advertisement, plus make some cash on the side. She had done this sort of thing before, but this time it was for a worthy cause: cash!

She pointed and clicked, snapping a few pictures. The flash brightened the room, but didn't disturb its occupants, namely Ranma and his father. After she was finished she left the room, leaving Ranma none the wiser. It was a cold way to make the cash, but it was also very genius. Why work for the money when you could just utilize what you've got and make a crap load in one frail swoop? This was how her mind worked.

The next morning Ranma woke and took a shower, reverting back to his male image. Then went downstairs and had breakfast with the family. After that he got ready for school and left with Akane. On there way there he walked down a stretch of road that intersected with the Hiroshi Dojo. It was then that they saw the property destruction. There was a gigantic hole in the left stone wall that enclosed Oro Hiroshi's house and dojo. They could see directly inside.

Inside Ranma saw Ryoga. He was helping with the rebuilding and the clean-up. He was holding a broom and sweeping up pieces of wood and stone mortar. Ranma stepped over the rubble of the wall and went inside. Akane followed behind. "Hey Ryoga, what're doing 'ere? And what the hell did you do?" he asked curious. "You and your severe mood swings."

Ryoga snorted angry. "I'm helping rebuild Mr. Hiroshi's Dojo."

"The question is why?"

"Because I destroyed it."

"Thought the pattern of this destruction looked familiar."

"Your perception of the facts is uncanny."

"No need to get upset, pig boy."

"Don't call me that!" Ryoga spat back quickly.

"So what happened?"

"I was perfecting my Lion Roar Shot and I lost control of it, and destroyed the dojo."

"But the question still remains, why are you 'ere?"

And Ryoga told him about the relation between Oro Hiroshi and his father.

"Really? That's pretty cool actually." Ranma said.

"Mr. Hiroshi's gonna teach me how to maximum my techniques, so I'm staying 'ere for awhile."

"Any chance of a preview?" Ranma smirked.

"I haven't started yet," Ryoga said.

"Had to get the destruction outta the way first, before the training, eh?" Ranma chuckled. "You were never the slick one, Ryoga. You'll never defeat me, so why dontcha stop trying?"

"Hope springs eternal, Saotome. I'm not a quitter."

Which was true. No matter how many times he lost to Ranma he never lost his hatred of him.

"One week from today then."

"If that an official challenge?"

"Damn straight! In the vacant lot, one mile from the Tendo Dojo. . .if you can find it!"

"Accepted. You've just signed your death warrant, Ranma." Ryoga laughed.

Oro Hiroshi stepped out of the house and saw the two teenagers on his property. He was never one to push people away so he went over to greet them. "Hello," he said. "May I help you?"

"This is Akane Tendo," Ryoga said with a brightened smile. "The other one is Ranma."

"So, you two come from the Tendo Dojo," Oro Hiroshi said. "I hope your father is well?"

"He's my father, not his," Akane said.

"I just live there," Ranma said.

"Just live there, that's a joke," Akane said with a snort.

"Yeah, and if it wasn't for the situation I'd hike my way back to China."

"What's takin' you so long?"

"You know why."

"There's no need to fight you two, we're all friends here," Oro Hiroshi said, putting his hands up in a gesture of friendship. Then it hit him. The dark blue hair, the sweet disposition, the innocent school girl look. "Ah, so you're the Akane Ryoga's been talking about." Ryoga' s eyes widened with fear. He wasn't supposed to say anything about their conversion about Akane, but then again he had not said he wasn't supposed to say anything. "He's told me so much about you."

"Me?" Akane was surprised.

"Really. What exactly has he told you about her?" Ranma wondered.

"Ah--ah! Nuthing." He laughed three times short. "Mr. Hiroshi, please!"

Ranma smirked a thin smile. Ryoga saw that smile and curled his lip in a snarl. The embarrassment factor alone was enough to make Ryoga blush red.

"We've gotta get going to school or we'll be late, Ranma," Akane said.

"Comin'," he said. "Ryoga, try ta stay outta trouble and no more destruction today, 'kay? I'm sure Mr. Hiroshi's got e'nuff to content without babysitting you all day." He chuckled, making his way to the wall enclosure. Ryoga snorted angry, and snapped his broom. "Add that to his bill," Ranma said. "Oh, and by the way, Ryoga -- you owe me for the _okonomiyaki_ you ate at Ukyo's restaurant. I want to cash in a week's time when we've got our match."

Ranma and Akane left.

Ryoga growled angry unaware that he had broken the broom.

Oro Hiroshi turned to Ryoga. "Ryoga!" he said. It snapped Ryoga out of his rage. He looked at Oro Hiroshi. "Control your anger. This is what lead to the destruction of my dojo in the first place. I will not concede to allowing your rage to rule your actions. Bury it deep down."

"He makes me so angry," Ryoga replied.

"Then use that anger to your advantage, Ryoga. Don't let it control you. There is no other emotion in the human experience that is more powerful than anger. But if you let it rule over you, it will eventually destroy you and everything you have sought to build in your life."

Ryoga heeded his words, and nodded. "I'm sorry I broke your broom, Mr. Hiroshi," he said.

Oro Hiroshi smiled. "Don't worry, Ryoga. There's another inside the house."

As Ryoga went to get the other broom Oro Hiroshi looked around his property. All the destruction and debris scattered throughout the grounds was not only shocking but also surprising. And he wondered how such a young man could have done all this damage by himself. It was perplexing. But Ryoga admitted he had done and was very sorry so he couldn't be too mad at the kid. _Besides it wasn't the first time the dojo has been destroyed._

The demon inside him chuckled with a laugh.

****

-- TBC


	8. Chapter 7

**_The Enemy Within - Part 7_**

Authors Note: This is actually chapter 7. I made a mistake labelling chapter 6, chapter 7.I'll fix it a.s.a.p.

* * *

When Ranma got to school, school was the last thing on his mind. There was something about Oro Hiroshi that bugged him. Being a martial artist he was sensitive to different energies and auras and there was just something about that guy that rubbed him the wrong way.

That innocent smile, that friendly façade--he was hiding something, and Ranma wanted to know what. If the man was a creep, then why was Ryoga hanging around with him? He was just as acute to different energies as he was. Maybe he had some sort of spell over Ryoga? But Ryoga seemed his usual dense self when he spoke to him. He didn't sense anything out of the ordinary with Ryoga. But Ranma had a sense that there was.

And then there was the damage to the dojo. That was not done by a single individual. The damage was too much on a large scale to be done by Ryoga alone. There had to have been a fight. And Ryoga was smart enough not to use his Lion Roar Shot indoors. So his excuse that he was practicing it in Oro Hiroshi's dojo late last night didn't fly with Ranma.

"Saotome, pay attention!" the teacher said in a raised voice, as Ranma laid back in his desk during first class looking like he was in a daze, staring at the ceiling. "What's the answer to this math problem?"

Ranma looked at the chalk board for the first time since class begin and noticed that it was covered with a very complicated math equation, to which he didn't know the answer to. "I-I…don't know, sir," he replied.

"If you're not willing to learn, Mr. Saotome, then stop wasting the other students time and go stand out in the hall," the teacher said. Ranma rose from his desk and left the classroom. But he didn't leave the room empty handed. For punishment in not be attentive, he carried two buckets of water in each hand. The purpose of this was to create discipline in the mind of the student holding them. But being a martial artist, he had discipline up the yin yang! But then why was he now standing outside in the hallway holding these two buckets of water?

Again, something to do with Ryoga got him into trouble. First it was having to pay for Ryoga's meal at Ukyo's restaurant (for which he'd get the money back from Ryoga when they had their fight in a week's time) and second, throwing his attention to this Oro Hiroshi guy, for which Ryoga says he accidentally destroyed his dojo while practicing the Lion Roar Shot. Something was rotten, and the smell wreaked of Oro Hiroshi.

-

Lunch period. Kuno sat down with Nabiki Tendo at a table across from each other in the student cafeteria. "Just the sight of this place makes me ill with discontent, Nabiki Tendo," Tatewaki Kuno said. "What was it you wanted to speak to me about? Speak fast, my time is precious."

"I may have something you might be interested to purchase," she said. "I know of your obsession with the Pig-tail girl and--"

"I do not have an obsession with the Pig-tailed girl," he said defensively. "Though she does occupy my every waking moment, and very often my dreams. Many is the time I dream of a perfect work where she and I are together, married with children." He began to blush. "She's like an angel who fell from the heavens but still retains her innocent and lustful, incumbent beauty. She is Juliet, and I am the sun."

Nabiki shook her head and rolled her eyes. "I'm glad you're not obsessed, Kuno-baby, now that would be scary," she said. She smiled.

"Forget about that, why have you brought me to this insidious place?"

"An offer, Kuno, one I know will interest you greatly."

"You're trying my patience, Nabiki Tendo. I have more important things to do than gabber with the likes of you. I am the champion of this school's Kendo Club and I must practice or falter when the time comes to test my skills in actual combat."

"Like against Ranma, for example?"

Kuno paused for moment. "Ranma Saotome is a special case. His skills greatly match my own, and one day he will bow to the might of Tatewaki Kuno. But in the meantime, until that day comes, the panther waits for the kill. The Blue Thunder of Furiken High will not be denied the kill."

"Ah-ha, okay," Nabiki said. "Back to reality." And she plopped the photos of Ranma she took the previous night on the table in front of Kuno. At first Kuno didn't know what they were, but when he picked one up and looked at the picture closely, he was shocked at what he saw.

The picture he held showed the Pig-tail girl sleeping, spread out half-naked on the floor on a red comforter, revealing a naked breast hanging out of a rather bold, almost male in appearance tank-top shirt. And the moment he took in the full regalia of the picture he started to blush and a drop of blood fell from his nose. He plugged his nose. "These are pictures of the Pig-tailed girl," he said obviously. "How…"

"How did I get them? Well, let's just say I have connections. And these are the reason I invited you here today. And they're for sale."

"Scandalous and daring," Kuno said. "I must have them! How much?"

"Three hundred Yen a piece, ten in all," Nabiki said.

"That's 3000 Yen! That's highway robbery, that's thievery, that's--" Nabiki stood up from the table like she was about to leave. Then Kuno stood up and put his hand on her shoulder for her to stay. "Like I saying--that's a fair price." And got out his wallet to pay her. Nabiki produced a thin smile. She knew he would pay. Her ploy of getting up and acting like she was about to leave always worked with Kuno.

Kuno glared at the pictures of the Pig-tail girl as Nabiki rose from the table. "Nice doing business with you, Kuno-baby," she said.

"You're a tough negotiator, Nabiki Tendo, but I feel the price was well worth it," he said. "Never have I seen the Pig-tail girl in such an unashamed manner. These will go well in my collection of her."

"You have a collection of the Pig-tail girl?"

"Of course," he said. "As well as your sister. All legitimate photos I assure you, nothing brash or brazen, or creepy or sinister. Wholesome pictures, and pictures well worth the effort in obtaining."

"I'm glad to hear that," she said, rather uninterested. "Well Kuno, enjoy the photos, and thanks for the cash. A little weird that you would happen to have 3000 Yen on you, but hey."

"I carry that much on me because I never know when something will catch my eye and I want to purchase it. Besides, I'm rich."

"And that you are, Kuno-baby. Thanks again."

Nabiki smirked and watched Kuno gock over the pictures of Ranma.

If you only knew the truth, Kuno. If only you knew. But it's best that you don't know or I wouldn't have this 3000 Yen.

-

Ryoga wiped his brow of sweat as he carried yet another 2x4 over to a pile of debris in the corner of the compound. He was exhausted and could use a drink, and as if on cue, Oro Hiroshi came out of the house with a glass of cold lemonade. "Thank you," Ryoga said, and drank it down. "I was thinking, Mr. Hiroshi. Instead of waiting until your dojo is rebuilt, why not rent someone else's dojo until the construction is completed? It might take a month."

"That's an excellent idea, Ryoga," Oro Hiroshi said. "Do you have any recommendations?"

"How about the Tendo Dojo? They're not using it. At least I don't think they are. Ranma and Akane practice in the dojo from time-to-time, but Mr. Tendo doesn't have any students. It would be the perfect place for you to teach your students until your dojo is back up again."

"I'll ask Soun Tendo this afternoon about it, great idea Ryoga," Oro Hiroshi said.

"I could ask him for you, Mr. Hiroshi. I know Mr. Tendo personally." Ryoga said.

"I'll leave it to you then, Ryoga," Oro Hiroshi said.

* * *

I promise the next few chapters will be more interesting. I want to set up more plot before I get to the juicy stuff.

-- TBC


	9. Chapter 8

****

THE ENEMY WITHIN - PART 8

After Ranma Saotome got his lunch he took it outside and ate it underneath a tree. Here he revisited the scene he saw at the Hiroshi Dojo. There was so much destruction that not one man, Ryoga, could've done it alone. There must have been a fight, a battle that forced Ryoga do use his Lion Roar Shot.

But Ryoga admitted he'd done it alone. He was perfecting his Lion Roar Shot. But why would he be using that technique inside the dojo? It was must too powerful for inside the building. He should've realized it would destroy it. There had to be something more to the destruction.

"Nihao Ranma!"

A familiar voice broke Ranma from his inner thoughts and sitting on her bicycle was Shampoo, her long blue hair and short skirt blowing in a small breeze that gust pass them at that precise moment. He looked up at her and said, "Shampoo, what're you doing 'ere?"

"Shampoo come to bring Ranma lunch," she said, in her best English (Japanese), smiling big.

"Got lunch, Shampoo, but thanks," Ranma said to her coldly. Shampoo was yet another one of his suitors, but sometimes he wished she would just go back to China and leave him alone. But she was bound by tradition to marry him as he bested her in battle in front of her tribe. If she didn't marry him she would be an outcast to her people, which, actually, she was. But even though she was annoying, running him down to date with him, he liked the chase. "Food from school not good for husband's stomach, try Cat Café specialty. Ramon with noodles."

"We're not married Shampoo," Ranma said.

"That's right, Saotome, you're not!" Mousse jumped out of the tree and thought he got between Shampoo and Ranma, but instead landed on Ranma's head and was facing the tree. "I won't consent to this illicit affair. Shampoo'll marry me."

"Say who? Not me." Shampoo said.

"I'm down 'ere stupid. Get off me!" Ranma told him.

Mousse turned 180 degrees on Ranma's head, messing his hair, bent over, adjusted his glasses, and looked at Ranma looking at him. "Why are you down there?" he asked.

"'Cause you're an idiot!"

Mousse hoped down from Ranma's head.

"You'll not to touch Shampoo--you hear me?" Mousse demanded, and he stole the pork bun that Ranma was eating. "This pork bun is like your relationship." And he crushed it in his hand.

Ranma stood up angry. "That was my lunch!" He said.

"No matter Ranma, Shampoo bring you Ramon."

But Mousse snatched that as well, taking Shampoo's delivery box. "No food from Shampoo will ever touch your mouth again, Ranma Saotome. I'll make sure of that."

In an instant Mousse transformed from a human to a duck when he was splashed with cold water. One of the fountain taps broke while a student was washing his hands and it sprayed everywhere. Unfortunately the spray also reached Shampoo and Ranma, turning them into their altered states. And with Shampoo now a cat Ranma screamed and ran away, as he was terrified of cats.

Shampoo hissed at Mousse angry and Mousse quacked happy because Ranma had run away. Mousse flapped his wings and ran towards Shampoo hoping for a kiss, but Shampoo scampered in the direction Ranma had run, following him. In the meantime Mousse ate the Ramon that had fallen on the ground. He was a duck so anything he found on the ground was fair game.

-

A knock came at the front door to the Tendo residence. Kasumi was home so she answered it. And standing at the threshold was Ryoga. "Why hello Ryoga, it's nice to see you," she said, in her cheerful manner.

"Thank you, Kasumi," he said back. "Is your father home? I have something important to ask him."

"Unfortunately no," she said. "He went into town for a town meeting. But he should be back in another hour. Would you like to wait for him?"

"I can't," he said. "But can you give him a message? I'd like to speak to him. It's very important."

"Maybe I can help you."

"No, I need to speak with your father directly. It involves using his dojo for something."

"You can us our dojo anytime you wish, Ryoga," she said smiling. "You're like family."

Ryoga smiled. "Thank you," he said. "I'm fond of your family too." He took a step back. "Please tell your father that I was looking for him, will you Kasumi? I can be contacted at the Hiroshi residence. If you need the extension, I can give it to you."

"Hold on, and I'll get a pen and paper." Kasumi left and then returned in less than ten seconds, and Ryoga recited the number of the Hiroshi residence. "I'll give my father the message. Tell me Ryoga, are you staying there?"

"For short while, yes. I just learned that Mr. Hiroshi is a long time friend of my father's. He and my father used to train together when they were teenagers. He's going to tutor me a little."

"That's great! I'm happy for you."

"Oh, and remind Ranma of our match next Friday when he gets home. I'm gonna kick his butt."

"I'll tell him," Kasumi smiled graciously only. In all the matches Ryoga and Ranma fought, in the end, even though Ryoga defeated Ranma in a few matches, officially Ranma had never lost to him. But Kasumi thought it was great of Ryoga to still think he could defeat Ranma. At least he was trying. And that was what being a martial artist was: never giving up, never surrendering!

Ryoga left the property and Kasumi left the message near the phone for her father to see when he came home.

A little less than an hour later Soun Tendo returned from the town meeting downtown. He read the message and asked Kasumi about it. She was in the kitchen cropping some cucumber for dinner. "Ryoga was here," she said. "He said something about using our dojo for something."

"Did you tell him he was welcome to use it for anything he wanted? He's like family to us."

"I did father, but I don't think he told me the whole story. He wanted to speak to you. He can be reached at the telephone number on the note. He's staying at the Hiroshi Dojo."

"He's what! Oro Hiroshi is the enemy. Ranma wants to put an ad in the newspaper so our dojo can trump up some business so I can pay off this mountain of debt we have. I would never have thought Ryoga would betray us."

"I don't think Ryoga would betray us, father," Kasumi said. "You don't even know what he wants. Why don't you call him and find out?"

"Maybe you're right, Kasumi," Soun Tendo said. "Oh, and coincidentally, did you hear that someone destroyed Oro Hiroshi's dojo last night? I've been asked to find out who. As an active member of the town council I have a duty to know everything that happens in this town."

"Why not kill two birds with one stone, father?"

"Kasumi, you're not resorting to murder now, are you?"

Kasumi chuckled. "No father," she said. "If Ryoga wishes to speak with you and you want to learn what happened to Oro Hiroshi's dojo last night, why not go visit them?"

"That's an excellent idea, Kasumi dear," he said. "Kill two birds with one feather."

"That's kill two birds with one stone, father," she said.

"Of course," he smiled. "With a stone."

"Oh father." She snickered.

"I'm off to Oro Hiroshi's place, Kasumi," he said. "Tell Ranma and the others where I've gone if they ask. I shouldn't be long."

"I will father," Kasumi said.

And Soun Tendo left.

He arrived at Oro Hiroshi's property soon later and saw firsthand the devastation to his wall enclosure and to his dojo. Oro Hiroshi's dojo was completely destroyed. And for a moment he smiled finding his competitor's assets in ruin. But he straightened than smile when he saw Oro Hiroshi come out of his house. Ryoga followed him in suit.

"Ah, Soun Tendo, welcome to my home," Oro Hiroshi said. "Forgive the mess. Apparently my newest pupil got a little carried away with his training the other night and wiped out my dojo."

"Ryoga, you did this?" Soun Tendo was both shocked and amazed that he could do this much damage all by himself. "How could you do all this by yourself, son?"

"I was practicing my Lion Roar Shot and it became unstable--I couldn't control it."

That seemed a perfectly natural explanation for the devastation, but in all his years as a martial artist he had never seen such destruction from one person. But Ryoga was no ordinary young man. He had the Lion Roar Shot as one of his techniques, as well as the Breaking Point. And if both were used in synchronicity, it could create a devastating combination.

"Ryoga, Kasumi said you wanted to speak with me about something," he said.

Oro Hiroshi spoke. "I sent Ryoga to ask you if we could borrow your dojo for a couple of months while my is being rebuilt, but I never imagined you would come here to reply."

"I'm sorry, the building is already being occupied," Soun Tendo said quickly. He was not going to allow the enemy to use his only money making asset. "I'm preparing to start up some martial art classes of my own. My son-in-law has already begun the process."

"That's too bad," Oro Hiroshi said. "And here I was going to pay for the use of the building."

"You want to rent my dojo for your classes?"

"Yes," he said. "And if, for the sake of argument, your dojo was free, what would be a fair asking price to rent it for, let's say. . .two months?"

Soun Tendo thought about it for a moment. On one hand he'd be renting his dojo to the very man that was taking away his business and costing him thousands of Yen of debt. On the other hand, if he did rent out his dojo to him, he'd be able to pay off most of his bills with money from the very man who has been causing his debt. But what about the proud name of the Tendo Dojo known throughout the town? With Oro Hiroshi renting it, would it lose some of that notoriety? He didn't have much of a choice actually and this was the perfect way to pay off some of his debts. "Okay, you can rent my dojo," he said. "500,000 Yen a month."

"Sounds a little steep, but I'll agree to that. So the price is one million Yen total, for two months." Oro Hiroshi extended a hand. "You have yourself a deal Soun Tendo. I'll inform my students that they will be taking their classes at your dojo for the next two months. You know, there should be more kind and considerate people like you in the world."

Soun Tendo smiled. "I'm always glad to help out a fellow martial artist in need," he said. But he was more glad that his debt was about to shrink dramatically lower.

- TBC


	10. Chapter 9

****

THE ENEMY WITHIN - PART 9

"Having good neighbors is such a wonderful thing, don't you agree Ryoga?" Oro Hiroshi said, and Ryoga agreed and smiled in his ever so innocent and friendly way. "Sometimes the friendships you strike up can last a lifetime…and I believe this is the start of a great friendship."

"I couldn't agree more," Soun Tendo said back. "Having friends is essential. Without friends there wouldn't be much to live for." He smiled, and then continued. "I remember when I met up with Genma. It was when we began training under our master. We made a pact that if we had children they will marry and carry on the Anything-Goes School of Martial Arts, a long standing tradition with both our families. We both had children. I had three daughters and Genma had a son."

"So you're the lucky father of that bright, young girl who's engaged to be married to that hot-tempered boy…Ranma, is it? To be perfectly honest, I admire you for sticking with your convictions in bringing those two together. They seem like a great couple. Are they in love?"

Soun Tendo produced a thin smile. "I'm not sure," he said. "They certainly don't act like it with them arguing all the time."

"Oh…well, kids disagree all the time, they're get over it. I like prearranged marriages. You introduce the kids at a young age, they get to know each other, and after a while, they become more than just friends… Know what I mean?" Oro Hiroshi winked at Soun Tendo, and Soun blushed slightly from the thought. He knew exactly what that meant. "But I'm not telling you anything you haven't considered, right?"

Ryoga was sweeping the ground near-by and he started to generate an angry aura, and Oro Hiroshi noticed this, but he had a inkling why. The kid was in love with Akane Tendo, it was written all over his face. And the way he talked about her earlier--he was jealous of Ranma's relationship with her. The raging hormones of teenagers these days.

Soun Tendo smiled, nodded. "I hope Akane and Ranma start to mend their differences and start to realize this coupling. I really want the Tendo legacy and the Anything-Goes teachings of martial arts to be passed down to another generation. Without them, I fear there's no hope left."

"There's always hope, Soun," Oro Hiroshi said. "Even in the darkest of times there's a beacon of hope just waiting to shine bright."

"Again, I hope so," Soun Tendo said. "But all they seem to do is fight with each other and quarrel over the smallest things. And it doesn't help when Akane is a little, well, to be honest, hot-tempered. It stems from her mother's side--God rest her soul."

"I'm sorry," he said. "How long ago did your wife pass on?"

"Several years ago, but sometimes it seems only yesterday."

"What did she die of, if I might ask?"

"Cancer," Soun Tendo said. "It ravished her body until she--" Soun Tendo began to cry, but he stopped himself in front of Oro Hiroshi. He sniffed and wiped a tear from his face. "We had a quick funeral. But even now I sometimes feel her spirit in my house, watching over the kids, keeping them safe from harm."

"Those are nice sentiments. I never had a wife, but I did have my best friend die, and it wasn't easy. I was a friend of Ryoga's father." Ryoga perked up to listen. "I was devastated to the point of taking my own life because the pain hurt so bad. Taiotasha Hibiki and I had known each other since we were mere babes and we grew up together like brothers. But one day I took a hard long look at myself and told myself that suicide wasn't the answer--it was the coward's way out. A true warrior faces his problems head on and he either triumphants or he fails trying. But he always tries no matter what--the journey is always more rewarding than the result. So I picked up my life and later moved--and here I am--with a new house, a thriving martial arts practice, and a popular dojo."

"That's very inspirational, you should write a book."

Oro Hiroshi chuckled at the thought. "Yeah, maybe," he said.

"When my wife died I would cry myself to sleep. But when my daughters came of age I had a new purpose in life--them! And when my best friend Genma Saotome came to town with his son, things started to look up."

Oro Hiroshi was thunderstruck. It was as if all his internal organs ceased to function and suddenly became induced in a hibernated state. As if a huge gust of Artic wind had blown on him inhabiting all function. He stopped breathing and held a breath. He was shocked, bedazzled, speechless. That name. That was the name of his enemy. _Saotome!_

Soun Tendo noticed the look on Oro Hiroshi's face and asked, "Are you alright, Oro? Is there something wrong?"

"Did you say Saotome?"

"Yes. Genma and his son Ranma. They're residing at my home. They've been staying there for nearly a year. Until things get worked out between Akane and Ranma and their marriage is finalized, we think it's best that the two kids be together so they can get a feel for one another."

The demonic spirit inside Oro Hiroshi screamed with unbridled anger, and then laughed with joyous elation. "At last, I found you!" it said, but not out loud so Soun Tendo could hear. Oro Hiroshi said, "How many family members do you have and how many in the Saotome family?"

"There's Genma and his son Ranma. Oh! And his wife Nodoka, but she doesn't live with us. She lives somewhere in the outskirts of Japan. Then there's me and my three daughters, Akane, Nabiki and Kasumi. We have relatives scattered throughout Japan, but not sure how many. I'll have to check my family registry. I don't think there are too many."

"What about your family history? What about the Saotome family?"

"I'm not sure about my family off-hand, but from what Genma has told me, or so he claims, the Saotome family come from a long line of powerful and distinct warriors. Several centuries ago, one of his ancestors helped stop an invasion force lead by a ruthless warlord. The warlord was attempting to overthrow the Emperor of the time. Genma says his ancestor killed the warlord and banished the survivors to the barren desert to die. Japan's Feudal Era was so filled with wars so it's difficult to recall which war or battle this was. Few were written down, and others were vaguely recalled but past down from word-of-mouth."

"Is that so? And did this ancestor of the family Saotome banish the surviving son of this warlord to the breaches of infinity to die in a hellish limbo in the springs known as Jusenkyo!" Oro said--anger and resentment echoed in his voice as if it had been penned up for years.

Soun Tendo was taken back by Oro Hiroshi's reaction. "I-I don't know," he said, and suddenly began to feel a little uncomfortable.

"Well I do!" Oro Hiroshi said with an anger centuries old, and suddenly his eyes turned blood red, as if he had suddenly become possessed by a demonic spirit. But what Soun Tendo didn't know about Oro Hiroshi was he had inside him the spirit of the son of this dead insurgent leader. "By sheer luck, you have told me where to find my enemy."

Oro Hiroshi waved a hand and erected an powerful energy barrier around the property, encasing them inside a purple dome. Sparks of electricity danced in and out of the energy barrier like tiny imps that lived in the bowels of Hell and only came out when their master called, as if responding to the spirit residing in Oro Hiroshi. A lightning strike struck in front of Soun Tendo and Soun Tendo jumped three steps back. "Oro Hiroshi, what is the meaning of this?" he asked fretful.

"I have finally found what I have long sought!" the voice of Oro Hiroshi echoed with demonic reverberation, his hands raised into the air, controlling the energy barrier and the imps that lived inside with his power. "And you have brought me the information I needed to find the last remaining survivors of the Saotome clan. I am in your debt."

"You're not Oro Hiroshi," Soun Tendo finally said. "And all this damage done to your property and dojo, it was not done by Ryoga alone, was it?" He then looked at Ryoga and his eyes glowed red too! It was obvious Ryoga had lost. "What did you do to him you sadistic fiend!"

"I haven't done anything, have I, Ryoga?" Oro Hiroshi said. "You're a willing participate, aren't you?" Ryoga nodded in agreement. "Allow me to introduce my newest disciple." Ryoga came to his side, and Oro Hiroshi put an arm around him like a father would a dear and loving son. "You presume the facts correctly, Soun Tendo. Ryoga and I did have a fight last night and it resulted in the destruction of my dojo, but in light of this, I know now it was all for the best. You see, Ryoga here has agreed to join me in my army of super warriors."

"What do you mean?"

And Oro Hiroshi told him his plan.

"You're mad, Oro," Soun Tendo said.

"My name is not Oro Hiroshi--it's Xi'an! And I'm the son of that warlord of whom you spoke of earlier, for which the Saotome ancestor killed!"

"You're the son of that warlord? How is that possible?"

"I was reborn--given new life when a lightning strike hit the springs of Jusenkyo! The springs were merged by a flood in a storm--and I emerged from the chaos. My spirit rising from the ashes of defeat and dismay, imprisoned for countless centuries. Now I shall have my revenge against those who killed me. And you have given me the instrument of their destruction!"

"You will not spread your evil in Nerima, not while I stand here!" Soun Tendo said with vigilance, and he ran to attack Oro Hiroshi. But Oro Hiroshi merely lifted his hand and pointed a finger at him and electrocuted Soun Tendo. Soun Tendo screamed in agony and then collapsed to the ground. He didn't move.

Oro Hiroshi went over to him and turned him over on his back with his foot and looked down at the fallen martial artist. "You are the most pathetic martial artist I have ever encountered," he said. "You don't deserve to call yourself a viable sensei to the field of martial arts."

"Well, you never really gave him much of a chance to counteract your attack, Master," one of Oro Hiroshi's pupils emerged from the house. It was a boy the same age as Ryoga, he too wore a bandanna around his head. "You zapped him before he could offer up much of a challenge. But knowing Soun Tendo as I do, he was no match for you. Not very sporting of you in my opinion, but you were never the patient one." He smirked.

"Ken," Oro Hiroshi said, "So glad you could join us." Normally if one of his pupils spoke to him like that it would be cause for punishment, but as if was his star pupil, he let it go. "You're so right, my boy, and I too sensed his low fighting potential. I have no time for weak fighters. There's work to be done and so little time to do it. In the centuries I spent in that hellish limbo my hatred grew with each passing moment. I died young, but I have matured in my death. I don't want to just kill Genma Saotome and his son, I want them to suffer as I have." He turned to Ryoga who knelt down beside Soun Tendo, he was seeing if he was still alive. "Ryoga, don't be concerned--he's still alive," he said. "I have merely stolen his sole and added it to all the others I have collected. Take him down to the basement and then return here. I have a job for the both of you, and each is as important as the other."

Ryoga picked up Soun Tendo and took him inside the house and down to the basement. He laid Soun Tendo down, leaning him against the wall.

And then something happened and he grabbed his head. "No, I don't wanna hurt anyone--get outta my body! Get outta my mind!" Ryoga dropped to his knees. "I don't wanna to hurt anyone. Please…"

Oro Hiroshi sensed Ryoga's conflict and strengthen his hold on him. "It appears Ryoga has a stronger will than I originally thought," he said.

"We don't need him," Ken said. "Get rid of him!"

"We do," Oro Hiroshi said. "His abilities will be very useful to us, but I must keep an eye on him. He could be very dangerous if uncontrolled."

In the basement, Ryoga got to his feet. Clear-headed, he returned to the courtyard to join Oro Hiroshi and Ken. Oro Hiroshi smiled when he saw Ryoga return. "Welcome back, Ryoga," Oro Hiroshi said. "I'm so pleased you have decided to join with us."

"It's my pleasure, Master," Ryoga said. "You had a task for me to complete?" he asked.

"Yes, I do," he said.

And he told each of them their respected tasks.

-- TBC


	11. Chapter 10

**_The Enemy Within Part X_**

He huddled up into a ball and started to cry in the darkness. He was trapped inside his own mind and was completely alone. He felt like he had been alone all his life, but now he really was. There was nothing he could do. But was there? He had to concentrate. He had to contact Ranma.

"Ranma!" he screamed his name, as if that would reach him in this dark and secluded place, and with his luck it probably wouldn't, but he had to believe it would. "You're my only help, Saotome! Deliver me from this evil hideaway or I'll be trapped here for all eternity!"

"He can't help you, Ryoga," a voice resounded from the darkness. It was the spirit or demon that lived inside Oro Hiroshi. "No one can!"

He heard laugher, and then Ryoga started to cry again.

-

The school bell rang to end another school day. Ranma ran out of class in a hurry with his book bag in hand, but he didn't have it for long and accidentally dropped it on his way down a flight of stairs. But he didn't have time to go back for it. He was had to find Ryoga.

Akane ran after him, but he was too fast for her. She found his book bag on the stairs and carried it with hers. "Stupid jerk!" she shouted down the stairs, and everyone looked at her wondering if she was talking to them. Akane blushed embarrassed and then huffed her downstairs.

The weather threatened to rain heavily. Storm clouds rumbled in a dark encased sky. But Ranma couldn't be concerned with the weather even though he had managed to revert back to his male ego once more. He had to take the risk of getting wet. Oro Hiroshi wasn't all he claimed to be and he had a dreadful feeling that Ryoga needed help. He didn't know why, he just had this gut feeling he did. Was it something psychic?

He couldn't explain it. Just before the bell rang he thought he heard Ryoga scream his name inside his mind. It was so loud that when it woke him up, he actually thought he was in the classroom with him. It may have just been his imagination, but something told him it wasn't.

Making his way through the streets of Nerima and down dark, animal infest alleyways, braving the pearl of being drenched upon at any moment, he finally reached Oro Hiroshi's property. He climbed over the debris of the retaining wall and snuck into the house.

He sensed a foreboding presence in the house and it brought chills down his spine. But when he searched the house from top to bottom he couldn't find a soul. No one was home. He returned to the front hallway and was about to leave when he heard a noise coming from the basement. It was the only place he didn't search. So he crept downstairs and found a bunch of strange devices, similar to those used for medieval torture.

"I knew there was sumthin' weird about this guy!" he said. "Havin' all this junk 'ere is just creepy on so many levels. Gotta warn Ryoga Oro Hiroshi isn't all he appears. This guy ranges 11 on the creep factor."

Ranma ran upstairs. But shockingly he came face to face with Oro Hiroshi, who was standing in the front hall blocking the only exit.

"Excuse me? May I help you?" Oro Hiroshi asked. Ranma stood frozen to the spot, not only because he had just been caught by Oro Hiroshi snooping through his house, but he could also sense a powerful dark arura around the man, and it made Ranma very uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, did I frighten you? Forgive me. What are you doing in my house?"

"Ah--" Ranma had to come up with a lie quick. But why lie? "I-I was looking for Ryoga," he said, his voice somewhat shaky. "I wanted to talk to him about sumthin'. It's very important. Where is he?"

"He's out for the moment, but he'll return soon," Oro Hiroshi said, his voice a little darker than usual, not as friendly as normal. "May I pass along a message?"

"No, no." Ranma gave a fake smile. "Just wanted to talk to'em about next week's fight, that's all. Nuthin' that can't want til I see'em."

"You still have not answered my question."

"Huh?"

"It's rude to enter a person's domicile without asking first," Oro Hiroshi said. "If you weren't such a good friend to Ryoga, I would probably call the police and have you arrested for trespassing."

Ranma clasped his palms together in an apologetic gesture, and said, "I'm sorry, I'll leave." But he wasn't sorry. He wanted to leave. The hairs on his arms were standing upright due to the energy in the place. Ranma felt Oro Hiroshi was the cause of it.

"You're Ranma Saotome, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am." But he knew that. "We met this morning."

Oro Hiroshi produced a thin grin. "Ryoga has told me so much about you. How your rivalry stretches beyond blood and honor. You're the person he hates most in all the world and wants to defeat so badly." He paused for a moment. "But he fears he won't be able to and I sense his uncertainty. He lacks focus and the quintessential drive he needs to beat you. But with me as his teacher, he will gain that confidence he so desires."

"Ryoga will never beat me!" Ranma said passionately, there was almost a tinge of anger in his voice. "He never beat me when it really counted."

"But he has beaten you, hasn't he?"

Ranma stayed silent. He didn't want to answer that. But yes, Ryoga had beaten him on the rare occasion. But that is only when he came to town boasting he had learned a new powerful technique and showed it off. A trail run on Ranma, so to speak. In the end, he beat Ryoga with his own techniques. So, technically Ryoga never beat him in an official match.

"No," Ranma finally answered.

"I don't believe you," Oro Hiroshi said softly. "I can hear the deceitfulness in your voice. You're afraid of Ryoga, aren't you? That one day he will eventually beat you and take Akane Tendo away from you."

"Akane Tendo is my fiancée," Ranma said firmly.

"You say that with such fire in your eyes, but your heart screams for freedom from the prison your parents have encaged you in. Doesn't it?" Ranma felt the energy grow. "Ryoga hasn't told me everything, but I know there is something more to your rivalry than either you let on. But no matter, Ryoga will tell me eventually. After all, we're almost family."

Like Ryoga fell into the spring of drowned piglet while hunting him down in the deepest regions of China… Yes, but he promised Ryoga he would never tell a soul about that. And Ryoga wouldn't tell either.

"Can I go now?" Ranma asked.

"Of course," he said.

Oro Hiroshi stepped aside and allowed Ranma to exit his house. Ranma walked past him and suddenly felt a deep chill in his bones. It was the same cold feeling ghost hunters said they experienced when they sought ghosts in haunted houses. The temperature suddenly drops several degrees when the ghost makes its presence known. This is how he felt. But he kept walking and didn't say a word.

He was half way across the courtyard when he stopped and looked back at Oro Hiroshi, and his stupid, fake smile of his, waving goodbye.

Then suddenly his eyes flashed red for a fraction of a second, and Ranma blinked wondering if he truly saw what he saw or if it was a reflection of the sun. Funny thing was, the sky was clouded over. There was no sun.

Ranma took a step back and stumbled over a piece of wood debris, nearly falling on his rear. He dropped to his hands and knees looking at the ground. When he looked up again at the house, Oro Hiroshi was gone. The man had disappeared into thin air. Or did he just go into the house?

He was confused, but he was also a little frightened. He took one last glanced around the properly and as he did so thunder boomed across the sky and it made him jump. He ran out through the broken retaining wall and down the street.

But little did he know that Oro Hiroshi was watching him from the roof of his house.

"Soon, young Ranma Saotome, I will take the fatal steps to forge my plans into motion, and you and your father, the last remaining members of your family, will die for the sins you have committed against mine!" He chuckled, then louder. "And I will use your friend Ryoga to do it!"

He laughed.

Lightning shot across the sky and thunder crackled violently within their harboring clouds of mixed air. Then the rain began to fall. And Oro Hiroshi retreated back into his house, vanishing like a ghost.

-

"Help me, Ranma!" Ranma thought he heard Ryoga's voice again.

-- TBC


	12. Chapter 11

_**The Enemy Within Part XI**_

Takewaki Kuno walked home from school alone. A heavy storm set in and drenched the entire area with water, but being the resourceful man he was he thought to listen to the morning weather report and brought galoshes. So, as it swished underfoot, his feet did not get wet.

But despite remembering to bring the right attire for the weather, that didn't make the experience any more enjoyable. Kuno hated the rain. For whatever reason it reminded him of Ranma Saotome. Why he wasn't sure, but he hypnotized that the rapid speed in which it fell conjured up images of how fast Ranma Saotome was when he fought.

He hated Ranma Saotome with a passion, for two reasons actually. Reason number one was he seemed to out-quaff him in battle, and reason number two is, he was engaged to Akane Tendo, for which Kuno loved. But that didn't mean he loved the Pig-Tailed girl any less. He had an equal attraction to both, but if he had to choose, he wouldn't be able to.

Thunder rumbled in the heavens and he was reminded of a poem by a famous Japanese playwright and he recited it as he headed home to his mansion. But as he turned a corner, he saw a mysterious dark figure standing in the middle of the roadway. Lucky for the stranger there was no traffic or he would get killed. But he seemed unafraid.

The stranger's identity was masked by the darkness that had fallen over the city by the storm. He wore a heavy cloak with a hood to keep out the rain. In his gloved hand he had what looked like a yellow, bamboo umbrella. Kuno recognized the umbrella to be none other than Ryoga Habiki's, he was one of Ranma's friends, though he didn't act like it. Most of the time, Ryoga's emotions towards Ranma were filled with hate and dislike. Kuno liked him. Any enemy of Ranma's was a friend of his.

"You there, why do you block my way home?" Kuno asked him, he had to raise his voice higher than normal to shout over the storm. But for some strange reason Ryoga Hibiki didn't answer him. "Ryoga, what say you?"

"I say this," Ryoga said, and with the strength and incredible speed, he flicked his umbrella open and then threw it through the air at Kuno. The heavy rain should have slowed it down as it approached him, but it seemed to contradict the laws of physics and get faster.

Kuno ducked as Ryoga's umbrella flew over him and then swung back like a boomerang at him. Kuno ducked again, and he watched it fly back into Ryoga's hand. It was amazing skill to use an umbrella like that. But why would Ryoga Hibiki attack him with it? He'd done nothing to provoke such hatred. "Why do you attack me?" he asked demandingly.

"I attack 'cause you're a threat," Ryoga said, and then threw the umbrella at Kuno again. But Kuno was ready this time and got out his Bukkon and blocked the attack. Using a wooden sword was no match for a bamboo umbrella, but this was Kuno's special Bukkon and it was reinforced with a very hard lining. This was no ordinary Bukkon, this was Kuno's personal prize possession that he had it specially made by some of the finest craftsmen in the world. Ryoga's bamboo umbrella hit the Kendo stick and lost its strength with such a strong block. It dropped to the ground in front of Kuno.

Kuno chuckled loud. "Ha! Ha! You underestimated me, Hibiki," he said. "Now prepare to taste the blade of a real weapon!"

Kuno dropped his book bag and then attacked Ryoga with his Bukkon raised high. Ryoga blocked his Bukkon by catching the blade in between the palms of his hands. Kuno was shocked. "Such strength!" Kuno observed.

Ryoga looked directly at Kuno and suddenly lightning flashed across the sky and his face was lit up in the aftermath underneath the hood. And Kuno was horrified at what he saw, Ryoga's eyes glowed blood red.

Darkness once again adorn his face and Kuno took several steps back in dismay; Ryoga relinquished his Bukkon.

"What are you? Some sort of demon?" Kuno expressed.

Ryoga raised his right hand towards the sky and lightning struck his hand, a ball of energy formed. Then he lowered his hand and leveled it at Kuno. "You are no match for me. You sister is next," Ryoga said, and then fired the ball of energy at Kuno and struck him directly in the chest. The impact of the blast launched Kuno through a wooden fence.

Lightning flashed across the sky lighting up the entire area with its raw power, and Ryoga approached the fence.

He looked through the hole in the fence and saw Kuno laying on the ground motionless. He ventured through the hole and then bent down and placed a hand on the side of his throat to check his pulse. He was alive. The blast had singed Kuno's clothes, but it hadn't killed him. That displeased Ryoga. If he had killed Kuno that would be one less enemy to worry about. But there would be plenty of opportunity for murder. He had many more of Ranma's friend's to defeat tonight.

The Master wanted all of them for his new army.

He put his arms underneath Kuno and began to lift him. However, all of a sudden, his skin sizzled and burned as several drops of water touched his face. He hissed in pain and dropped Kuno and quickly wiped his face dry. It was his curse. Even the slightest ounce of water burned his skin before he changed into P-Chan. But he had not changed. He wasn't drenched with cold water completely. Only a drop or two touched his naked skin. But it acted like acid otherwise.

He hated the curse and wanted more than anything to see Ranma Saotome die for leading him on an endless search through the deepest regions of China where he fell into the Nan-nii-chuan springs at Jusenkyo.

If he did everything the Master ordered, he said he would lift the curse and he would again be normal. He wanted that so very badly.

But as the water began to fall more heavy and he looked at Kuno laying on the ground and recalled what he had just done, he suddenly heard this voice plead for him to stop what he was doing. But it was only there for a moment and then vanished. Ryoga returned to what he was doing and picked up Kuno and draped him over his shoulder, and went back through the hole in the fence, and walked down the flooded street.

Kodachi Kuno was next!

He made his way down several streets in the heavy rain when he started to feel his cloak getting heavy as water weighted it down; his skin was getting a little damp too. And this worried him. If he got wet then he would change into P-Chan and that would be very bad. He had to keep his human form to complete his missions for the Master. It was essential that he remain human!

He began to feel a slight burning sensation on his arms and knew it was time to get out of the rain. Lucky for him Kuno's mansion was less than a block away, so he rain down the street and kicked open the main gate and entered the property. Here he made his way down a long slab stone pathway to the main door and got underneath an archway. He dropped Kuno and took off his cloak that had got soaked by the rain. But he still felt a dampness in his clothes and it was essential they and he got dry or he would change into P-Chan. So he shouldered the door open and entered the mansion to find a dry place. He dragged Kuno inside.

Suddenly he felt a presence. Ryoga looked down at Kuno, but he was still unconscious. But this presence was a ninja. It had a strong aura, but it wasn't as strong as someone's aura say like Ranma's. And yet there was something familiar about this aura, he had encountered it before.

The Kuno's bodyguard, Ryoga deduced. Sasuke was his name?

Ryoga felt a swift wind rush past the back of his neck and he turned to see what it could be, but other than the door being open, he couldn't see anything. Then it happened again, and he turned back around, but again he saw nothing. Sasuke was here. The little ninja was toying with him, he knew he sensed him. But why wasn't he attacking?

Then suddenly the attack came.

Sasuke jumped down from the support beams of the roof in the main hallway and latched onto Ryoga's face. Ryoga tried to pull him off, but to no avail. He couldn't breath, Sasuke was suffocating him. So he hit the little ninja hard with one fist and it weakened his grip. Sasuke jumped off and landed on the floor and faced Ryoga, rubbing the back of his head. He looked at Tatewaki Kuno laying motionless on the floor. "What have you done to Master Kuno?" he asked, he demanded.

"He's alive," Ryoga said.

"I know you. You're one of Ranma Saotome's friends. Ryoga Hibiki?" Sasuke said. "Why do this? Did Master Kuno inflict some hardship upon you for this to be the result? You have some major explaining to do."

"I don't have to explain anything to you," he said to Sasuke.

Sasuke looked at him strange. "I sense another presence in you," he said. "Perhaps if I attempt to exercise this presence you will provide me with some answers."

Sasuke reached into his Gi and plunked out some powder balls. He then threw two at Ryoga and they exploded in his face. White powder went everywhere, on Ryoga's face and clothes, and fell on the floor.

Ryoga grabbed his face and staggered back in disorientation, shouting obscenities in anger. If Sasuke had not heard those particular words before he would most certainly be offended. But in a place such as this where he was yelled at all the time, they were commonplace.

"My eyes, my eyes!" Ryoga cried, and without knowing it he walked back out into the rain. And as the rain came down, he started to shrink. His body began to fold in on itself and his limbs pulled themselves in. And his head converted to a pigs. And his shouts of pain turned to squeals.

P-Chan appeared out from underneath Ryoga's clothes and Sasuke looked at him in awe with streams of water washing the white powder off his face. "A little pig? How can that be? You were human just a minute ago."

P-Chan clenched his teeth and growled fiercely at him. Then he attacked Sasuke. Sasuke back off and ran back into the house. P-Chan followed him and chased him around the interior and by sheer quintessence they came full circle back to the main hallway. Sasuke jumped back onto one of the support beams in the roof. He felt the pig couldn't get him here.

P-Chan snarled angry at him and his eyes glowed blood red. "I don't know what's going on here, but something very strange is happening," Sasuke said. "I must get Mistress Kodachi and tell her about this."

All of a sudden, Kodachi Kuno walked through the door and saw the scene unfolding. A little pig had Sasuke cowering on a support beam in the roof.

"Mistress Kodachi, I'm so happy you're home!" Sasuke said. "This little pig has been running amok through the mansion. Please capture it."

Kodachi Kuno rolled her eyes in disbelief and then looked at the little pig. "If I knew you'd have this much trouble with the little runt, I would've asked the Master to give me the assignment."

Kodachi Kuno took out a Thermos from her backpack and poured hot water onto P-Chan. The water soaked into his skin and converted the animal back into its human state. Ryoga emerged from his animal curse.

"I don't need your help," a naked Ryoga said annoyed, sitting on the floor. "I took care of Tatewaki Kuno. This little runt just caught me off guard." Sasuke was stunned, but he didn't have time to reason things out as Ryoga used a small Shi Shi Hokodan blast to ping him off the support beam. He came crashing down and hit the floor hard and was rendered unconscious.

Kodachi Kuno, or the person impersonating her, waved a sheet around her and in the blink of an eye, Ken, or Copycat Ken, as most people knew him by, was standing where she once stood. He handed Ryoga his clothes that were left out in the rain. Ryoga snatched them from Ken.

"I don't need you help!" he said again.

"Looks to me that you did," Copycat Ken said. "Tatewaki Kuno was no challenge, we knew that, but you'll hafta do a lot better than this against Kodachi Kuno. She's more vicious in her attacks. Where is she?"

"She doesn't seem to be on the property," Ryoga said. "But I haven't been everywhere. I was gonna check the mansion before he jumped me."

"The master wants this done quickly so I'll help."

"I said--"

"I know what you said, but I'm here now," Copycat Ken said. "She might not be back from school yet. She goes to an all girls school. I'll keep an eye out for her while you get dressed into some dry clothes."

"And where do you suppose I find dry clothes?"

"Look in Tatewaki Kuno's closest, you idiot! He's bound to have something in your size. Do I have to do all the thinking 'ere?"

Ryoga gave him a mean look and Copycat Ken returned it. "Anytime, ninja boy," he said. "I owe you some payback for the last time we met anyway. But forget about that now and just find some dry clothes. It's creepy seeing you stand there naked."

Ryoga growled angry under his breath and then found the stairs that went up to the second floor. He found Tatewaki Kuno's room and was amazed at how sparse it was, decorated in a classical Samurai theme. There was even a suit of Samurai armor decked out in the middle of his room.

Ryoga crossed the spacious room and opened a sliding door that turned out to be a closet and rummaged through Tatewaki Kuno's clothes seeing if anything fit, but as Kuno was at least a foot taller than he was, nothing did. But finally he found an old Gi that looked his size. It was black and when he put it on it conformed to his body like a glove. It must've been one of Kuno's old Gi's when he was not so tall.

"This'll do nicely until my clothes dry," he said. He then made his way back downstairs.

But by this time, the battle had already begun without him.

Kodachi Kuno had come home.

"How dare you break into my house and do this to my brother and my man servant!" the real Kodachi Kuno said angry. "I'll make you suffer for this intrusion. No one does this to the Kuno family and gets away with it!"

Black petals exploded from her clothes and littered the floor as Kodachi Kuno brought out her signature item, a black rose. She was known as Kodachi Kuno the Black Rose because she never went anywhere without carrying one and if she performed a malicious act she left a black rose behind as a sign that she was there. She was ruthless, heartless and vicious in her fighting skill. She threw the Black Rose at Copycat Ken, but he jumped back so it would miss him. It stuck in the floor.

"I'm going to make the both of your pay!" she said.

And she attacked!

_-- TBC_


	13. Chapter 12

_The Enemy Within Part XII_

Kodachi's weapon of choice was a gymnastics ribbon and she was formidable with it, and she used it to snap at Copycat Ken in defense of his attacks. Following suit with his signature move, Copycat Ken also had a ribbon for which he had instantly copied from Kodachi. How he was able to copy her weapon in an instant Ryoga had no clue, but he seemed just as skilled as she was with it and copied her moves exactly. So each were equally matched, stride for stride, attack for attack.

Copycat Ken looked at Ryoga, who was standing at the foot of the stairs, watching the fight, and said, "What do you think you're doin'? Come help me, you idiot!" Ryoga was about to, but as soon as Copycat Ken got turned around with the real Kodachi Kuno, he lost track of him. Copycat Ken had changed into Kodachi Kuno again, and now there were two of them.

"Which one are you?" he said. "You're identical!"

The real Kodachi Kuno laughed in her usual manner, a sadistic, insidious laugh, at the fact that Copycat Ken's partner in crime was confused. But that was a huge mistake and she quickly realized it soon after.

To avoid Copycat Ken's accomplice from attacking her she began to twist and turn, creating a massive wind cycle, swirling her ribbon around her and tossed black pedals within a swirling barrier, that they couldn't penetrate, but, of course, from which she could still attack them. And she did, snapping her ribbon out through it at her twin.

The ribbon continuous hit Copycat Ken with vicious speed and he lost from the battle, and was thrown, slid across the floor at Ryoga's feet.

Kodachi stopped her whirlwind and laughed. "You may have copied my looks and my skills, but when it comes to techniques, I can not be beaten."

Copycat Ken used his special sheet and reverted back to his normal self. "Why didn't you help me?" he demanded of Ryoga, he got up. "You saw her!"

"You seemed to be doing so well," he said, smirking slightly.

"I know you," Kodachi said to Ryoga. "You're one of Ranma daring friends, Ryoga Hibiki. Am I right? Or are you a copy too?"

Ryoga took a few steps forward. "I am Ryoga Hibiki, the genuine article," he said. "And you're becoming a nuisance."

"You still haven't answered my standing question," she said. "Why have you invaded the sanctity of this domain and attacked my brother and my man servant? And why are you wearing my brother's clothes?" she asked as an after thought, noticing that the black Gi was indeed her brother's.

"My clothes got wet so I borrowed some of your brother's," he said.

She saw Ryoga's clothes in a wet clump sitting on the floor next to the front door. "I find it odd that you would change into some of my brother's attire even when your clothes are wet. Even a sensible criminal would still wear their own clothes if they plan to break into a home and assault the occupants. Are you some sort of pervert?"

Copycat Ken chuckled, and Ryoga looked at him not amused.

"It's a long story and one I'm not going to explain right now," he said. "You're coming with us."

"And what if I refuse?"

"That wouldn't be wise."

Kodachi grinned pleased. "Is that a challenge?" she asked.

"If you want it to be," Ryoga said.

"We're not here to play around, Ryoga. The master wants her to be part of his army," Copycat Ken said. "Take her down! Stop toying with her!"

"Who is this master of yours?" Kodachi asked.

"That's none of your business!" Copycat Ken replied.

"Enough!" Ryoga got between them. "I challenge you to a battle, Kodachi Kuno. Do you accept?"

She laughed. "I do," she said. "In the Arboretum."

"Why there?"

"Because there is more room."

Kodachi Kuno laughed and then ran down a hall, black petals flying behind her. Ryoga and Copycat Ken ran after her and followed her through two large glass doors which lead into the Arboretum. The entire place looked like a huge greenhouse filled with tropic plants, trees and there was even a sizable swimming pool in the middle of the place.

Both boys were memorized by the outstanding grandeur of the place. It was like a tropic rainforest right here in the town of Nerima.

"You may have defeated my inept brother, but you won't beat me," she said. "I know something you don't."

"And what is that?" Copycat Ken said back, turning his attention to her and ignoring the scenery.

"This is my house and I'm not alone," she said, and suddenly a huge crocodile emerged from the swimming pool, and climbed up onto the concrete floor that aligned the swimming pool, which was in fact not a swimming pool at all, but actually an aquarium for that thing. "Meet Mr. Green Turtle. He's my pet crocodile. Mr. Green Turtle meet you next meal."

Ryoga and Copycat Ken ran away scared as Mr. Green Turtle chased them. They managed to elude being eaten by the beast by climbing up a tree. The crocodile snapped its massive jaws at their feet as it came the majority of the way up the tree trunk. "Call'em off, Kodahci!" Copycat Ken pleaded.

Mr. Green Turtle roared at them and snapped its massive jaws, nearly grabbing hold of Copycat's Ken's foot as he let it lax over a hanging branch.

"Looks like my pet will have its meal." She smiled. "Unless of course you tell me why you're here and why you attacked my brother and Sasuke?"

"Ryoga, do sumthin'!" Copycat Ken said.

"Like what?"

"Anything!" he said, as the crocodile lunged up and snapped its massive jaws in an attempt to grab hold of his leg. Copycat Ken lifted his leg just in time to avoid the crocodile from dismembering him.

"'Kay, I see only one way," Ryoga said, and then jumped from a branch, flipped over the crocodile and landed on the ground a few meters from it. The crocodile saw him and turned its attention towards him.

"Ryoga! What in the hell do your think you're doin'? That thing will eat you alive!" Copycat Ken said, the tone of his voice more scared than concerned.

"I have a plan, and it's the only way to achieve our objective," Ryoga said. The crocodile roared at him and began to charge. As crocodiles moved, this one was fast. But Ryoga was faster and jumped out of the path of the beast. The crocodile then turned its massive head and looked at him, looking angry that a human avoided it.

It began to charge again, and Ryoga jumped back over it, vaulting over it like a gymnasts would a Palma horse.

The crocodile roared very angry. Apparently it didn't like being cheated from a juicy meal.

"How dare you deny Mr. Green Turtle of his meal, looks like I may have to get involved to stop my pet from starving!" Kodachi Kuno said, and took her ribbon and snapped it in air, wrapping it around Ryoga's body, securing him to the spot so he couldn't move, restricted all movement from his arms and legs. "Now my pet won't go hungry. Feast on his flesh!"

Ryoga stood there, but he felt unafraid despite the situation. "Not today, Kodachi," he said. "I don't intend to be your animal's meal."

Ryoga then focused his energy and unleashed the Ultimate Shi Shi Hokodan, generating an upsurge of Ki energy and then brought it down again directly on top of him. And as of all emotion was drained, the powerful blast didn't harm him, only those around him.

When the blast hit the ground, the crocodile was thrown back into the water, it surfaced belly up. Kodachi Kuno took a hit as well and she was tossed back and hit her head on one of the many rocks that adorned the Arboretum. She laid motionless, unconscious.

Ryoga returned from the void where the Ultimate Shi Shi Hokodan normally sent him when all emotion was drained out of him and looked upon the devastation and result of what he had unleashed. He stood in a deep hole, the result of such a powerful blast coming down upon him, and viewed all that had transpired from his attack from his venue point.

And suddenly he felt a little sad because he had unleashed such a powerful attack upon another unsuspected creature and another human who didn't deserve it. They were only defending their home.

Copycat Ken jumped down from the tree seeing that it was safe to come down. He looked at the crocodile floating belly up in the water and then looked at Kodachi Kuno's unconscious body a few meters away. He then looked at Ryoga who was emerging from the large hole his attack made.

"Amazing!" he said, both stunned and thrilled at the same time. "I've never seen a more powerful attack. What's it called?"

"The Shi Shi Hokodan, or the Lions Roar Shot," Ryoga said. "It uses the negative Ki from the user to generate a powerful surge of emotion and brings down that power upon his attacker."

"You'll have to teach me that someday."

"Maybe," Ryoga said. "It's not as easy as it looks."

Ryoga felt his head.

"What's wrong?" Copycat Ken asked.

"I don't know, all of a sudden I have this massive headache," he said. "No, no, this is wrong. Stop it!" Ryoga cried out, feeling his head. "I can't do this. This is terribly, terribly wrong!"

"Get a grip, man, control him," Copycat Ken said.

"Ryoga is fighting back," he said. "His spirit is strong."

"But yours is stronger. You're a warrior of Lord Xi'an. Don't let this worthless commoner take back what is now rightfully yours. Fight him."

Ryoga began to calm down. "I'm regaining control again," he said. "This Ryoga Hibiki has a powerful spirit. When I took out Tatewaki Kuno he tried to overpower me then. But I told him that if he cooperates Lord Xi'an will lift the Nan-nii-chan curse. He seems to want that."

"Lord Xi'an can do that. And when all this is over he'll get his wish, but he won't be around to enjoy it. Once Lord Xi'an destroys Ranma Saotome and his father, the world will be his to rule. Now go get Tatewaki Kuno and I'll take care of his sister."

Copycat Ken went over to Kodachi Kuno and picked her up and carried out of the Arboretum and followed Ryoga back to the main hallway. Ryoga picked up his clothes and put them under his arm and then lifted Tatewaki Kuno onto his shoulder. Then he noticed something. "Where's Sasuke?" he wondered. "He's not here."

"Don't worry about that little runt, he's no threat to us," Copycat Ken said.

Ryoga looked outside. "It's still raining, I can't go out in that."

"Use your umbrella. Give me Tatewaki Kuno. I'll return to the master and give these two to him. You carry on with your mission capturing the rest of Ranma's friends. The master needs them for his army."

Ryoga gave Tatewaki Kuno to Copycat Ken and draped him over his other shoulder opposite Kodachi. Ken then walked out in the rain.

Ryoga shoved his wet clothes into a plastic bag, opened his umbrella, and then ventured out into the rain. He had a mission to complete and not even rain was going to stop him!

**-- TBC**


	14. Chapter 13

**__**

The Enemy Within Part XIII

The explosion was heard from a mile away.

Ranma looked up and saw a towering energy blast coming from the vicinity of the Kuno Estate, and immediately recognized it. That was Ryoga's Ultimate Shi Shi Hokodan blast. The blast returned from which it came and he then saw smoke coming from the area.

Whatever Ryoga blasted had set something on fire. But with this heavy rain, it would soon smother it out. But why would Ryoga be using his Shi Shi Hokodan blast this far in to the residential community?

This warranted investigation, and Ranma ran to the Kuno Estate. He wanted to find Ryoga anyway and tell him about Oro Hiroshi, and it looked like he had found him. But what he found was nothing like what he would expect.

The two-door main gate to the Kuno Estate was ripped off its hinges by some great force and lay in a crumpled heap on the ground; its metal bars were bent outward. The sides of the wall where the gates were attached were blasted away and debris littered the grounds. He had to step over it to get into the Kuno Estate.

But there was something strange about the debris pattern, Ranma noticed. He turned around and looked back at it. The debris was spread beyond the front of the enclosure which was weird. It was as if something blasted the gate on their way out and not in.

Ranma ventured across the property jumping over the large mot Kodachi Kuno dug around the main house for Mr. Green Turtle, her pet crocodile. But it was strange. The animal should have been out at this time of day, especially in this rain. Crocodiles love damp weather like this. Maybe Kodachi took it inside and penned it up in its cage or wherever it lived.

Ranma reached the main entrance to the house and grabbed the knob on the left door and without any effort the entire door came off its hinge and fell at his feet. This was bad, this was very bad, Ranma thought.

He went inside and shouted, "Kuno!" standing in the middle of the main hallway. But no one answered back. And it was odd that none of his staff came to greet him at the door.

He ventured further inside the estate and got a dreadful feeling that no one was a home, absolutely no one. But he did sense something. It was weak, but there was another presence in the house. He couldn't sense it before because its energy was very weak or it was injured. He didn't know, but he felt he was no longer alone. "Show yourself, whoever you are!"

Sasuke dropped from the ceiling rafters in front of Ranma. He looked like he had been in a battle. His face was scuffed and his clothes were ripped and tattered. "Sasuke, what happened here?" Ranma asked.

"A terrible thing," Sasuke said, "a horrible thing!"

And then suddenly he collapsed to the floor. Ranma bent down and picked him up. Sasuke was unconscious, due to his injuries. Sasuke wasn't the strongest fighter in town, well honestly, he wasn't very strong at all, and he wondered why Kuno kept him around as the estate bodyguard, but his injuries were consistent with being attacked by Ryoga's Shi Shi Hokodan. He had a severe burn mark to his face which would result with a direct, short-range attack.

But if Ryoga did all this, the question was why?

Despite Sasuke's injuries he would live and Ranma carried him around the estate because he wanted to know exactly what happened here and perhaps he would find a clue. It wasn't until he reached the Arboretum that he found a big one. This was where the Ultimate Shi Shi Hokodan blast came from, judging by the gigantic hole in the floor and the hole in the roof. And there lying in the water belly up was Mr. Green Turtle.

Was the animal dead? Ranma put Sasuke down to see. He stood on the edge of the aquarium and looked at it. He bent down and rolled it over in the water and saw burn marks on its back. It had definitely been hit by Ryoga's Ultimate Shi Shi Hokodan blast.

Suddenly it opened its eyes and snapped at him. Ranma backed away quickly. Mr. Green Turtle roared at him and climbed up onto the concrete floor surrounding the aquarium, and it was very, very mad!

"Hey! I didn't do this to you," Ranma said. But apparently the animal couldn't distinguish between friend and foe, only that Ranma was an intruder in his domain and it was trained to attack him. "I'm sorry, but you give me no choice. I don't have time for this." And Ranma used his Moko Takabisha, the positive form of Ryoga's Shi Shi Hokodan to blast Mr. Green Turtle back into the water.

He then grabbed Sasuke and ran out of the Arboretum and out of the house.

It took him a few minutes to get home, and by that time the rain had subsided. Ranma entered the Tendo Dojo in his arms and Kasumi was the first to see them. "Ranma, my heavens, what happened?"

"I found him at the Kuno Estate," Ranma said, taking him into the tea room. He lay him down on a comforter that was next to the TV that was used to sit on while watching TV. Kasumi brought a blanket and covered Sasuku to make him warm. "The estate is in ruins, someone attacked it."

"Who could have done such a thing?" Kasumi wondered heartfelt.

Just then Akane came down from upstairs. She saw Ranma had returned back from wherever he ran off to after school and was very angry at him. She stood at the threshold of the tea room. "Thanks for abandoning me after school, Ranma! Here's your book bag back. You left it in the stairwell." She threw it at him and it hit him in the face.

"Akane! That's not nice," Kasumi said.

He pealed his book bag off his face. "I had a legitimate reason!" Ranma said, angry at her.

"Sure you did, you always have an excuse for everything," Akane said. Then she saw Sasuke. "What's going on? What Sasuke doing here?" Kasumi explained to her what Ranma had said to her. "That's awful!" she commented. "Do you know who did it?"

Kasumi looked at Ranma, but Ranma shook his head meaning no. Though he did know, or at least it thought he did, but he didn't want to say anything just in case he was wrong. But from what he saw at the Kuno Estate, the damage was unmistakable. Ryoga did do it.

-

Nabiki Tendo headed home after spending some time with her friends. She hung out at a local malt shop and waited for the rain to stop before making her way home through the streets of Nerima.

She stopped at a cross walk and waited for the light to change, but as she stood there she thought she recognized a familiar face. She had only encountered him once before, but from that one encounter he had made a lasting impression.

Copycat Ken could change into anyone at a whim and duplicate their mannerisms and skills just by seeing them demonstrated once. He was a quick study and a master of disguises. He was like a magician, but his way of doing things was unique. Nabiki had never seen anyone quick change like he could, it was almost as if he had some strange magical power that aided in his changing abilities, a power not from his world.

But the thought of that was just ridiculous. But it would be interesting to know where he learned his trickery and then she could sell his secrets to make a lot of cash instead of just a little here and a little there.

Then she had an idea. Why not organize a benefit to raise money for the Tendo Dojo? She'd call it the Tendo Dojo Relief Fund Benefit Concert or something to that effect. Copycat Ken could do his tricks and wow the crowds and there would be music, food and other entertainment. But he'd be the star. Whether he'd go for it was another manner.

Ranma didn't like him. After the stunt he tried to put when first he encountered him and to everyone else when he first came to Nerima, it was no wonder anyone did.

Copycat Ken tried to match wits with Ranma and defeat him by learning all the techniques of his friends and use them against him, but in the end it was his quick change that ultimately decided the battle. Copycat had quick changed into so many people that he started to get confused and it affected his fighting style that he defeated himself without even throwing a punch.

Copycat Ken might not go for it, but it couldn't hurt to ask him. Besides it was much better and faster than Ranma's idea to make money. The notion of placing an ad in the newspaper for new martial art students wasn't very original and it she doubt it would be cost-effective either.

The light changed and she looked at the stop light for whatever reason, and when she looked back to see where Copycat Ken was, he had disappeared. She got the other side and looked around for him, but he was no where to be seen, which was strange, because he had a distinguished look with that bandana on his head. But knowing Copycat Ken and his sudden quick change, he could be anyone or anything.

Suddenly Nabiki felt a hand on her shoulder and she jerked startled because it frightened her. She turned around and saw it was her father. "Oh daddy, you scared me," she said.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Soun Tendo said. "What are you doing here?"

"I was hanging out with some friends. Oh, and I thought of a great way to make the Dojo some money." She looked around. "But he seems to have disappeared."

"Who has disappeared?"

"Copycat Ken," she said. "I have this great idea of putting on a benefit show to raise money for the dojo and Copycat Ken can be star attraction."

"That's very ambitious of you," he said smiling, "but we no longer need to worry about that. I just made a deal with Oro Hiroshi. He agreed to pay us for the use of our dojo until his is repaired."

Nabiki thought that was very strange. The last thing she remembered was her father being very upset and angry that Oro Hiroshi was taking all his business away. And now he goes and makes a deal with him for the use of their dojo? "But what about Ranma and Akane, where will they train if Oro Hiroshi uses our dojo?" she asked.

"It won't be forever, Nabiki-dear, only for two months. I'm sure Ranma and Akane will be able to figure something out to do in the mean time. I'm in a bind, Nabiki, we need this money to help me get out of debt."

"But I thought you liked Ranma's idea?"

"And what idea is that?"

She looked really puzzled.

"It's okay, honey. Whatever the idea was it's not important anymore. Let's go home."

Nabiki nodded. She didn't know why she felt this way, but there was something different about her father. But then she shrugged it off, because perhaps this deal with Oro Hiroshi was a blessing in disguise?

-- TBC


	15. Chapter 14

_**Ranma ½: The Enemy Within Pt. 14**_

Cast in the shadows of the night wrapped in a dark cloak and hood Ryoga Hibiki stood outside the Cat Café Restaurant in the cold, windy night. Rain drizzled down upon him like droplets of spit, but he was not concerned with it, he was protected by the thickness of his cloak. It kept out the wetness and prevented his body from a sudden transformation into P-Chan.

A red curtain stood out on the walkway outside the restaurant indicating that it was still open for business, however when he went inside he saw no patrons in the eatery. The hour was late and it was obvious to him that they were in the process of closing up shop for the night and had forgotten to take the curtain inside. The place looked empty, void of life, dark and secluded. But there was life in the kitchen as he heard the sound of rushing water running and the clatter of dish against dish as they were being washed.

Ryoga ventured further into the restaurant and saw Shampoo from the chest up through the serving window washing dishes. Mousse passed behind her carrying a stack of dishes that seemed to be unbalanced. They wobbled from side to side.

She was a beautiful girl, but his heart belonged to Akane. Akane was the girl of his dreams. Though that didn't prevent him from noticing other girls. He was a guy and it was his nature to look at girls, but out of all the girls had had seen and talked to, Akane Tendo was the one he loved and wanted to marry. She was tomboyish, violent, over-bearing and mean sometimes, but he loved her all the same.

"You be careful, Mousse," Shampoo said, "dishes very breakable and expensive too."

"I can handle it, Shampoo," Mousse said. Though it was obvious from what happened next that that he underestimated his chances of getting them to where they were supposed to go safely. And there was a loud shattering crash! The noise echoed through the dark, barren restaurant. Mousse had dropped them.

"Mousse!" Shampoo said loudly and angrily.

"MOUSSE!" Cologne, her great-grandmother, said, echoing her heated sentiment. "You're paying for those! You're going to work overtime for six months until you pay for every last one of them!"

Mousse sighed and groined mournfully. "I'll get a broom," he said.

_Good, they're all here. I can kill two birds with one stone. Actually three. But I only need Shampoo and Mousse for the master. The old hag shouldn't be a problem to incapacitate. At least, I don't think she will?_

The swinging door to the kitchen swung open and Mousse walked out. The eatery was in complete darkness and he had no idea that Ryoga was standing within its dark void. And nor did he see the chair that was in front of him. He bumped it and then tripped over it and fell head-on onto a table. It creaked and then snapped, collapsing under his weight. There was a tremendous bang and crash as both he and table slammed into the floor hard. His face flattened against the surface of the table as his face slammed into it.

"Mousse!" Shampoo rang out angry, obvious to her that he had broken something else.

"MOUSSE!" her great-grandmother shared her sentiments. "A year's overtime!" she then said.

He felt his sore face and adjusted his glasses with his middle finger as he got up from the floor. "Sorry," he muttered as if saying it would make any difference about how they felt about him. He was more of a nuisance than a welcome guest. They treated him like a child they never wanted or an adopted pest. The lack of respect they gave him was awesome. But somehow he tolerated their mistreatment because he loved Shampoo. He followed her all the way from China and hoped to one day marry her. But first he had to defeat Ranma Saotome in battle to prove his worth as a suitor. "Now where is that light switch?" he said.

He located the light switch and the restaurant lit up bright. "You'll never win her heart, you know that," Ryoga said. Mousse jerked around started by the sound of his voice. "She's an Amazon and therefore has a debt of honor with Ranma, her husband-to-be. You have no chance of separating them, they're meant to be."

"And who are you?" Mousse said to the stranger in black.

"I can help you win over your beloved, make her forgot about Ranma Saotome forever," he said.

"How?" Mousse wondered.

"By eliminating the completion. Ranma Saotome is a disease and I have the cure."

Mousse adjusted his glasses again and looked at him with a confused stare. "Ranma Saotome is annoying, egocentric, and a womanizer, but I wouldn't compare him to a disease. Nevertheless, you have my full attention. Who are you and what can you do for me to defeat Ranma Saotome?"

"Join forces with me and together he will go down!"

"Mousse!" Shampoo screamed at him. "Dishes won't clean themselves!"

"I'll be right there!" he said back. Then he said to the stranger, "Tell me who you are first?"

"Is that really important? Do you want my help or not?"

"Humor me," he said. "I'm interested in your proposition, but I'd like to see who I'd team up with." Ryoga pulled back his hood. Mousse was surprised and perhaps a little amused. "Ryoga? What the hell are you doing dressed like that? You look like you're dressed for Halloween."

"I'm a messenger for my master," Ryoga said. "And I dress abiding by his request."

Mousse looked at him strange. "A messenger?" he said, and then located the broom he originally came out for. He crossed the room and grabbed it. It was leaning up against the wall near the door. "You also sound different, more… confident."

"I've been commanded by my master to gather an elite force of warriors to pit against his greatest enemy," he said.

Mousse stopped and stared at him, and then started to laugh. "Is this a joke, Ryoga? Did Ranma put you up to this? Did you lose a bet to him or something? Tell me."

"I'm not joking, Mousse. I'm here to recruit you for my master's army."

"Mousse!" Shampoo said, bursting through the swinging door. "What are you doing out here?" Then she noticed Ryoga standing just inside the door. "Oh, Ryoga. Nice to see you. Go home. Restaurant closed."

"I've come to recruit you, too, Shampoo," Ryoga said to her.

Shampoo said, "What you mean?"

"He says he's under orders from his master to recruit us for his special army," Mousse explained sarcastically. Then he laughed.

Shampoo said, "Joking over. Restaurant closed. Come back for breakfast tomorrow. Mousse back to work."

"He recants the facts correctly," Ryoga said. "You two are to be my master's newest recruits."

"Be gone demon!" Cologne burst out of the kitchen with her walking stick at the ready as if she believed it was a magic ward or something with equal power to fight off a demonic spirit. "Your presence is not wanted here! You will not take my grand daughter or her friend for a sacrifice to appease your master."

"Ah, the old hag," Ryoga said. "Do you have such little confidence in your great grand daughter that you are unwilling to allow her to fight me? She looks like a spire Amazon warrior and a worthy fighter."

"I can take him, great grandmother," Shampoo offered. "Is only Ryoga. He acting funny, but is only him."

"Careful child, Ryoga is being possessed by some powerful demon," she said. "I could sense the dark arura from in the kitchen. It's cold and evil. You are no match for him at this juncture. There is another speaking through him." She then said to Ryoga, "What's the name of your master?"

Ryoga sighed annoyed. "You ask too many questions for Amazon warriors," he said. "I thought your bred of warrior fought first and then asked questions later. I see that becoming urbanized has toned down that violent and aggression behavior. Allow me to inspire you to become more like your ancestors. Give me a taste of some of that primitive, animalistic Amazon woman pride I've heard so much about!"

"That can be arranged," Cologne said. But she was afraid she might hurt Ryoga. Ryoga's body was host to a demonic spirit, but his own life form must still reside inside somewhere. And if she killed this demon, she would also kill that good-hearted, innocent kid. She had to be cautious, however. This was not Ryoga.

Ryoga extended a finger and used the Breaking Point technique to attack, touching the floor, caused it to crack. Shampoo, Mousse and Cologne jumped out of the way and then ran into the kitchen.

But Ryoga didn't stop there. He launched the same attack and destroyed the kitchen, sending dishes and pots and pans everywhere. He smirked and suddenly the water main broke and the entire place flooded. However, to avoid getting wet, he quickly escaped the eatery through the front door.

There was a back exit and he quickly jumped onto the roof to follow the escapees. But suddenly the roof creaked and caved in under his weight. He fell through and got caught by a geyser of water.

He changed into P-Chan.

He shook his head growled at the change. Then he ran out the back door in a back alley. Both Shampoo and Mousse had changed too, caused by the water. They got wet when the kitchen water main blew. Shampoo was now a pink cat and Mousse was a white duck. Cologne was fine. She was not cursed.

It was now a stand off between animals. But as Cologne was human, she had the upper hand. And when P-Chan attacked Shampoo and Mousse, she used the Hiryü Shöten Ha technique to coax P-Chan into a spiral, using his fighting spirit against him. And when they got into the middle of the spiral, she hit him hard with her stick and sent him flying through the air towards the back of the alley. He bounced, and then lay there unconscious in the alley.

Shampoo meowed concerned. "Be careful child, he is not dead," Cologne said.

She ignored her warning and went over to him, but she should've heed her great grandmother's words, but as soon as she got within striking distance P-Chan quickly opened his eyes, he faked his injury, and to her amazement, and to all their astonishment, Ryoga reverted back human without aid of hot water.

"Foolish mortals," he said, wiping blood from the side of his mouth. "Did you really think you could defeat me, general to Lord Xi'an's army?" Cologne gasped at the name. "I'll make you suffer for your transgression. The sole reason I came here was to collect two warriors for my master's army and that it precisely what I intend to do and no one is going to stop me!"

"Are you still playing around with these two?" Copycat Ken said, as he watched from above on the roof top to the Cat Café Restaurant. He was standing on the edge of the roof with his hands in his pockets. "We have a schedule to keep." He then rolled his eyes. "Are you naked again? God, why is it so difficult for you to keep your clothes on? I'm starting to wander if the master appointing you as general to his army was merit."

Ryoga gave him a nasty look.

"Copycat Ken, what is your involvement in this?" Cologne wondered.

Copycat Ken couched down casually as if feeling perfectly confident. "I'm just a humble servant," he said. Then he laughed. "Whoa Ryoga! You sure know how to pick'em, dontcha? You can't even defeat this old broad. If you can't beat her, how on earth do you think you're gonna beat Saotome a week from now?"

"Why has Xi'an returned?" Cologne said straight. Both Ryoga and Copycat Ken looked at her. "He and his clan were wiped out centuries ago by Emperor Sho Tao Ming for creating a coo against the state."

"So you're familiar with our master?" Copycat Ken said. "Then you can deliver a message to Ranma Saotome, the last survivor of his family's clan. Lord Xi'an challenges him in one week to a duel. Tell him if he refuses to show, then his friends will die." He turned to Ryoga. "While you were skulking around here, Ryoga, I located Uyko. One more to go! Along with her, the Kuno siblings, and these other two, Lord Xi'an's army will then be complete. Grab them quickly and let's get outta here. And for god's sake, put some clothes on!"

"I will not let you take them!" Cologne said. "You will have to get past me to get to them."

Copycat Ken rolled his eyes and sighed quietly to himself. "Fine, have it your way," he said. He jumped down beside Ryoga. Ryoga quickly got dressed. Though his clothes were soaking, he no longer feared changing. The demonic spirit inside of him prevented the change. Almost as if it has cured him of it. "You take the duck and the cat back to Lord Xi'an and I'll take care of her. Saving your butt again?"

"Have you forgotten already that I saved you from that crocodile when we were at the Kuno estate? You were scared to death of it hiding in that tree. I don't need you help. So, go away! I can take her."

"On second thought, let's take her with us," he said. "She might be a value hostage."

"What worth is she?"

"Never discount your elders," Cologne said. "I may look frail, but appearances can be deceiving."

"And never underestimate the young, old woman," Copycat Ken said. And putting his fore fingers and thumbs together while closing his other fingers into the palm, an ball of energy formed between his hands in the hole. Cologne looked at it wide-eyed, and noticed the configuration of his hands. She had seen that before. It was an ancient sign used to summon a demonic power. She went to flee, but Ken sent a blast towards her and it caught her directly. Cologne hit a brick wall and dropped to the ground unconscious.

Shampoo looked at her and then growled angry at the boys, ready to attack. Mousse quacked angry, and flung his wings open to expose an assortment of knifes hidden within the feathers.

"Do you think you can handle these vermin now, Ryoga?" Ken said.

"I said I don't need your help," he said. "Now go! I can handle them."

Copycat Ken smirked. "Just don't screw it up," he said. "The master needs them."

"I know what the master needs," Ryoga said firmly.

Ryoga quickly sent two small Shi Shi Hokodan blasts at Shampoo and Mousse, pinged, and subdued them easily. Then he went over and picked them up and put them into a large sack.

"Leave the old hag there," Ken said. "She can be our messenger to Ranma Saotome."

Ryoga nodded, agreed, and then left the alley with Copycat Ken, with his trophies in hand.

One more to go!

_**-- to be continued…**_


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 is an extra long chapter.

There's only 4 more chapters to goin this story, so I'm making the chapters extra long to accommodate everything I need to insert to make 20 chapters.

--

_**Ranma ½: The Enemy Within! Chapter 15**_

Ukyo Kuonji stood outside her restaurant and swept the ground with a wicker broom. After she finished and made things neat for tomorrow morning, she went back inside, unknowingly forgetting to lock the door.

She went behind the frying table and had just turned off all the lights when she realized her fault.

She went to lock the door and suddenly noticed a stranger dressed in dark clothing standing outside on the sidewalk where she had just swept. It was dark and she couldn't see his face. She wanted to retire for the evening, but instead fell prey to her nicety business owner instinct to welcome all customers and opened the door. She said, "May I help you?"

But the moment she had said that, the stranger pushed her back and burst through the door. She was knocked off her feet and fell to the floor, landing on her rump. "Ow!" she mouthed.

He stood above her. Ukyo looked at him both confused and angry at what he had done, and at that moment she wished she had her giant spatula because she would give this guy a hard whack across the face for his impertinence. However, the broom she was using to sweep the sidewalk was leaning against the fry table, and it was the only think near by, so she figured she could use that.

She quickly grabbed it and leapt to her feet, twirling it in her hands like a baton. She brought it to within striking distance of the intrusive stranger and swung it at him. But much to her surprise he brought an arm up and blocked her attack, grabbing hold of it with his hand, as if anticipating her response.. She tried to yank it away from him, but his grip on the broom was remarkably strong, so she let go of it. The second she did, the stranger took it in both hands and snapped it in half. Then it magically burst in flames before her very eyes. He dropped them to the floor.

She gasped in disbelief, and then panicked fearing the fire would spread. She thought quickly and went to snatch one of the table clothes off the table to smother the flames. But the stranger quickly grasped her left upper arm and held on tight. "Let it burn," he said. "It's needs redecorating anyway."

Ukyo struggled fiercely against his iron-clad grip, but to no avail. And he began to squeeze harder, hurting her. She felt the pressure increase around her muscle, bruising the tendons. "Let me go, you creep," she growled adamantly. "Can't you see my livelily-hood is on fire!" The stranger didn't seem to care and held on to her tightly as she continued to pull against him.

All of sudden and without warning, much to her surprise, he let go of her, and she dropped to the floor, banging her knees hard. She turned and looked at him bewildered at why he had released her. She rubbed her knees as she stood on her feet. She wanted to ask why, but then returned to her main concern and that was the flames that were creeping across her restaurant floor. She pulled a table cloth off the nearest table and smothered the flames.

After the fire was out, she snapped back to him, giving him a mean look. She was extremely pissed off and wanted to know who this creep was. She snorted angry. "What in the hell did you think you're doing?" she said angry. "Tell me who you are and I'll decide whether or not to beat you to a pulp for this."

"I've come for you, Ukyo Kuonji," the stranger proclaimed. It was then that he flipped back his hood and revealed his identity. "You are the last one I need."

Ukyo's eyes widened with startling shock, and she let out a short gasp. She said, "Ryoga? What the hell do you think you're doing? Ranma will hear about this and then you'll be big trouble."

"I'm counting on it," Ryoga said smirking deviantly.

Ukyo looked at his expression confused, and was unnerved by his response.

"You were nice to me the other day," he said. "What, no friendly greeting for me this time? No free Okonomoyaki? Come to think of it, I am hungry. Doing what I've been doing this night has made me a little parched. Feed me."

Ukyo was taken back by his uncharacteristic behavior. Ryoga was usually so polite and nice, not rude and obtrusive.

"No," she said flatly. "Not until you tell me what's going on with you! You burst in here and nearly set my restaurant on fire. What the--! What really baffles me, however, is how the broom spontaneously caught on fire. How did you--"

"I've come to collect you for my Master's army," he said straightly, avoiding answering the question. "He's in need of your special skills," he continued. "Also, there's an opening in the kitchen that needs to be filled. After I told my Master about how wonderful your Okonomoyaki was, he immediately wanted you."

"I'm not cooking for anyone who sends a messenger and then threats my livelily-hood," she said firmly. "You're not Ryoga. The real Ryoga would never do something like this. He's a kind and gentle person. Who are you?"

"I am Ryoga Hibiki," he said flatly.

Quickly his faced appeared to cringe and he put his hands to his face. He bent over and grunted out loud as if he was in tremendous pain. "No, I am the real Ryoga Hibiki, give me back my body," he then shouted loudly, looking back up at Ukyo. His expression was that of in great pain. "Ukyo, help me! This demon has taken control of my body and if he isn't stopped---Ranma is in terrible danger!"

"Quiet you fool!" Ryoga then said. "She can't help you, no one can."

Ukyo didn't know what to do and just stood there watching this all transpire.

It was then that Ryoga started to calm down. He face returned to normal and the aggravated muscles in his face retreating back behind his skin. He breathed a little heavy after the ordeal, but then eyed Ukyo and chuckled. "So, now you know my little secret," he said. "I had hoped to avoid it, but he continues to surprise even me with these spontaneous outbursts of aggression. However, as he persists he weakens and I get stronger. It doesn't matter anyhow, there's nothing that can save him." He continued, "I've been authorized to take you by force if necessary. My Master is eager to met you and to add you to his army. I hope you'll be more cooperative than the others."

"What others?" Ukyo wondered.

"The Kuno siblings: Takewaki and Kodachi, and those annoying Chinese immigrants: Shampoo and Mousse. They all put up a fierce fight, but in the end, their own arrogance and overbearing confidence in their skills defeated them."

"What did you do to them!" she demanded to know, her hands gripping the table cloth tightly, her nails digging into the fabric. She felt her sharp nails digging into her palms. She was trying to think of a way to use it against him in the most effective way possible, but as of yet nothing had come to mind.

His expression was plain. "They're quite safe, I assure you, better then they're ever been, in fact," he said. "They've become my Master's newest personal army, which you will join, Ukyo. They all enjoy their new position."

"They're slaves," she said straightly.

"Not slaves, but warriors to a greater cause; a worldly cause, and they will be the harbinger of doom for Ranma Saotome and his father."

"What does Ranma have to do with this?" Ukyo asked.

"Everything, but I don't need to explain my Master's reasons to you," Ryoga said. "All will be explained in due course. Fortunately, I can tell you who I am and what my purpose is." He paused for a brief moment, and then spoke. "I am second Seize to my Master, Lord Xi'an, who died at Jusenkyo. I also drowned in one of its deadly springs. I was reborn when my Master was reborn and now I serve him. I have taken this boy's body as a vassel for my consciousness and spirit. I have been charged to gather a powerful army for my master to use to lay seize across the land in this new era. And with these new, young warriors, my Master's victory will be assured. But first, he wants settle a score with the last remaining Saotome clan members, Ranma Saotome and his father."

Ukyo had a thought. "What spring did you fall into?" she asked.

"Of what consequence is it. I'm not afflicted with a curse like Ryoga Hibiki is. I am a non-corporal being inhabiting a corporal being; my body eroded away eons ago and so did whatever curse my body may have contracted. Fortunately, I have learned to control Ryoga's curse and now he no longer changes."

"Ryoga fell into Jusenkyo?" she said with surprise. She didn't know that. She was only aware of Ranma, Shampoo, Mousse and a select other few who had taken the plunge. Ryoga had never advertised he had a curse. But maybe he wanted it that way. Then that would explain a number of things and why he was often afraid of water. "What does Ryoga change into?" she asked.

"I'm getting annoyed," he said in a huff. "He changes into a little black pig," he said with a snort. "But I've nullified his curse with my powers. He should be pleased. He finally got what he's always wanted."

"A little black pig?" she said. She mulled the image over in her mind for a moment and then realized that he could only be referring to... "Akane's pet pig, P-Chan?" she then said, poising it more of an inquiry.

"Correct," the spirit said. "And he sees it as both a curse and a blessing, and it's small price to pay to sleep in Akane Tendo's bed at night. He's never been closer to her. But in his heart he wants to be rid of it, so I made it happen… for a price."

"Yes, his life; and that's not fair!" Ukyo said. "You've already lived, he's still young." Then a thought struck her. "But wait a minute! I may not know a lot about curses, but you can't wipe one out on a whim, it has to be treated. A curse is an unknown spell not bound by the physical laws of the world. You're only masking it."

"Hmpf." He smiled. "For a cook you're pretty smart."

"I'm a cook and a half, and I probably know a lot more than you think."

"You're only partially right, however," he said. "To cast a spell and have it circumvent properly is to bend the physical laws of the world, and the spiritual world is capable of doing this. However, there is another way for a curse to be broken, one where the human psyche plays in bonify part. Ryoga believes his curse could not be cured, but the improbable is only a figment of the mind. The Naniichuan springs constitute a series of curses brought about from thousands of years of suffering, and each one has a cure. But you're right, Ryoga isn't cured, I am merely keeping his curse back. To completely eradicate a curse from the body you must seek a higher source, and Lord Xi'an is that source. Once Ranma and his father are dead, he'll permanently cure this body of that curse."

"And what will you do with Ryoga's spirit?"

"His spiritual presence will be eradicated, of course. Two souls in one body will eventually create an unstable conflict that will drive the host insane. So far I have been able to control Ryoga's presence, but if his spirit isn't dispelled soon, he will go insane, and this body will be useless. But why am I telling you this? You won't be able to help him." He extended a hand in front of him and ripped the table cloth from her hands. Parts of the fabric stayed in her hands, the pieces that she had her hand clenched around. "Time to come with me, Ukyo," he finally said. "The Master is eager to meet you."

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Ukyo said, dropping the pieces of fabric. She scooted around the same table she took the table cloth from and pushed it over, to use as a shield. She twisted off one of the legs to use as a possible weapon. However, Ryoga used an invisible force to throw the table aside, exposing her. Ukyo stood there gripping the table leg, ready to fight. She really wished she had her giant spatula, but it was behind the fry table and she wasn't near it. She didn't have a chance without it.

"I notice you don't have your giant spatula," he said. "Where is it?"

"None of your business," Ukyo snapped back at him, unintentionally eyeing the fry table.

Unfortunately, Ryoga saw her gaze, and looked at the fry table. "Ah, so there is it," he said. He extended the other arm towards the fry table, opened his palm upright, and used his power to lift her giant spatula in the air from behind the table. "I've seen, or rather Ryoga has seen you use it. It's quite a formidable weapon." He had it float to him; he grasped the handle. "Yes, a lovely piece of craftsmanship."

Then he threw it to her and Ukyo caught it in her hands.

She looked at him confused. "Why Am I allowing you fight with it, you're probably wondering," he said. "'Cause I hate a one-sided battle, I prefer a challenge and you look like you could provide one."

"You bet your ass I can," Ukyo said confidently, gripping the handle to her giant spatula tightly. "Now that I have my spatula, I'm ready to take you on. And I show no mercy. Ranma can be a testament to that!"

"I know." Ryoga cocked his head slightly to the right. "Show me the power you wield with it, I'm anxious to see first hand your skill," he said, smiling deviously. "This oughta be good."

--

Ukyo stood her ground and fought valiantly, but she was no match for the supernatural power Ryoga wielded. She fell, and Ryoga carried her over his shoulder, her body limp unconscious, out of the Okonomyaki Restaurant.

Outside, Cologne watched as Ryoga left the Okonomyaki Restaurant with Ukyo in hand. She could only stand back and watch, hiding behind a wall and do nothing. She knew she was no match for Ryoga at this point. He was possessed with a powerful demon and even her skills were inconsequential to that sort of supernatural power.

It was dark and raining, drizzling, and she noticed Ryoga was not changing into a black pig as he got wet. She theorized that the demon was probably using its supernatural abilities to inhibit the curse. But it was only a temporary measure, she knew, because a curse can not be masked forever, it must be treated or it will return. Unfortunately, as legend dictates, if the curse isn't treated soon or allowed to commute, festering in the body--the next time Ryoga changes, it could be permanent, and he will never be human again.

She wondered if the demon knew this.

As Ryoga walked in the rain, she sneaked from building to building following him. But suddenly, in the middle of the street, he stopped, and said, "I know you're following me, Cologne." He turned around. "Better get inside or you're catch your death of cold. You shouldn't be out in this weather."

"Where have you taken Shampoo and the others?" she demanded.

He signed tired, sounding annoyed with her. "You'll find out soon enough," he said. "I'll be in touch. I know you will tell Ranma all he needs to know. I saw you reaction when my Master's name was mentioned in the alleyway. You're familiar with the legend of his death, aren't you?"

Ryoga slowly levitated off the ground and rose in the air, turning around to face her, raising high. "Tell him everything, don't leave anything out," he said, and then floated away from her to disappear in the darkness of the night.

Cologne could easily bring him down with an alternation of the Dragon Spiral, but she didn't want to hurt Ukyo.

She had to find Ranma and fast!

--

Nabiki had a wild and uncharacteristic thought about her father. There was something that just didn't sit right with her about him. He was acting different. How, she wasn't quite sure, but being the daughter of a martial artist, you kind of get these feelings that tell you something isn't right, and she was getting one of those feelings about him now. But she had to ask herself why.

She wondered if it had anything to do with the other day when she saw Copycat Ken walking on the other side of the street, but if he was up to old tricks, what was he up to? And what would it have to do with her father? But maybe she was just being paranoid with all this Ryoga business, and Kuno and Kodachi suddenly disappearing from their mansion. And then there was Sasuke sleeping in a coma in the tea room. He'd been unconscious for nearly 48 hours.

Ranma had mentioned that Ryoga was somehow involved, but he couldn't be specific--all he had was a gut feeling. Right now, Ranma was walking around town looking for Ryoga in the hope that he hadn't left town yet. If she were him, she'd start with the Hiroshi residence. All these happenings seemed to start ever since he came to town. Though that was her gut feeling only. But she would never publicly advertise that to the family. They'd only say she was jumping to conclusions, and they maybe right.

But she had always very suspicious and cynical of people, it was her nature. Kasumi was the upbeat friendly homemaker, Akane was the angry tom-boy, and she was the analytical opportunist. And if you were an analytical opportunist, you had to determine the best investment to make the most money. But with a talent like that came a calculating mind where you had to read people and their character. Character was just as important as making the best investment. And she used her expertise to read her father's actions and determine he was acting strangely.

Presently he was upstairs sleeping. But that was strange because it was early in the evening and he didn't normally go to bed this early. She had been watching him all evening ever since he had come back from talking to Oro Hiroshi and announcing that he would be renting their dojo to him for the next couple of weeks while the Hiroshi Dojo was being repaired after Ryoga destroyed it.

That was another thing. She had been thinking about how Ryoga managed to destroy Hiroshi's Dojo all by himself.

She knew Ryoga had his Lion Roar Shot. While it was very powerful in its own rite, Ryoga was smart enough not to use that technique indoors. It was very strange he chose to use it inside Oro Hiroshi's dojo. He should've known such a powerful blast would destroy the building. He wasn't the brightest guy, but he wouldn't be that stupid!

She decided to conduct an investigation of her own and peak in on her father to see if he was actually in his room. So, she crept upstairs and opened his bedroom door. The room was completely dark. "Dad?" she softly called out. But he never answered. However, out of the corner of her eye, she did witness a glimpse of a shadowy figure jet across the curtained window in the back.

She took a step inside and turned on the lights. But to her surprise, there wasn't anyone here. She went in further and had a closer look around. Suddenly the door slammed behind her and she jerked around to see her father standing there. "Nabiki, what are you doing here?" he asked her.

"I came to see if you were alright," she replied. "You went to bed early and I thought you may be sick."

Soun Tendo smiled at his daughter. "Nice of you to care about your father, but I'm feeling fine," he said. "I came up for a little nap because I was feeling tired. Remember, I went to see Oro Hiroshi earlier today and the walk was a little tiresome. But your father is fine… I'm fine, Nabiki. Don't worry."

"Is something going on?" she asked him out straight.

"What do you mean?" he said.

"You're acting very strange. Earlier you were cursing about Oro Hiroshi and his dojo stealing business away from us, now you allow him to borrow our dojo, while his is in repair? Don't you think that's sorta strange?"

Soun Tendo looked at his daughter with an expression of confusion, and then smiled blankly. "I don't understand what you mean, I made a deal with Oro Hiroshi for use of our dojo, and he'll pay us, too. I think it's an equitable exchange. You're the innovative, opportunistic one in the family, Nabiki, you should know a good business deal when you see one."

"You're right," she said. "Oro Hiroshi gets what he wants and we earn a little money to pay off your financial debts. However, aren't you worried about the reputation of the Tendo Dojo? Our family is well known in Nerima. It may be okay for now, father, but the idea falters in the long run, don't you see? It hurts our notoriety."

"What would you have me do, then honey?" Soun Tendo's expression turned sour. "I'm surprised you don't see how much this helps me. You kids obviously don't care enough about me to get jobs to help pay the bills, so I had to do something to save this place. I think your mother would have approved."

"But I have been helping, daddy," Nabiki said, taken back by her father's comment. Don't care? How could he say something like that? Her father would never say something totally mean like that. "I've been collecting money from some of my usual sources and I have nearly 10,000 yen for you."

Soun Tendo's face lit up with elation, and he then said, "10,000 yen?" He grinned happily. "How on earth did you manage to get all that money, Nabiki-dear?"

"I'd rather not expose my sources," she said. "But it's all legitimate--honest, daddy!"

He continued to smile with a big grin. "I believe you," he said. "You wouldn't do anything dishonest." He opened the door and that was obviously Nabiki's cue to leave. "Don't worry about me, and thank you for going to so much effort. I'm sure the 10,000 yen will go a long way with the money Oro Hiroshi is giving me."

He proceeded to smile big as she made her way out of her father's room.

But she was still bothered. She turned back to him, and said, "By the way, who really destroyed the Hiroshi Dojo? I've been mulling it in my mind, and Ryoga wouldn't be that stupid to perform the Lion Roar Shot indoors. There had to be an outside factor. He had to have been fighting someone to muster than much power to perform the technique."

Soun Tendo then looked at his daughter with an unpleased expression. "And why do you think that?" he said. "Ryoga even admitted to his illicitness."

"I don't know," she said inquisitively. "I just think there's more to it than meets the eye."

"And who have you said this to?"

"No one," Nabiki said. "But I kind of gather you know more than you're telling us, daddy." She said "daddy" with an accusatory tone.

"How dare you say this about your father," Soun Tendo said angry.

"I would never accuse my father of any malice behavior. But, of course, you're not my father, are you," she said.

Soun Tendo gave her a look of shock and wonder. Then he sighed with a smirk. He grabbed her left arm and yanked her back into the room, shutting the door. Copycat Ken reverted back to his natural form, whipping out a cape and twirling it around himself. "What gave me away?" he said to her. Releasing her; she stepped away.

"A daughter's love of her father and a woman's intuition," she flatly said. "Also, from the view of a business woman, it was such a shotty deal. So, where's my father? And what do you have to do with the Hiroshi Dojo?"

"Direct, aren't you?" he said.

"It's my modus operandi," she said. "I have a duty to get the truth. I'm a business woman."

"He's perfectly safe. No harm has come to him--well, not yet. Hiroshi is holding him with the others."

"What others? And what did you do to poor Ryoga to make him act like he is?"

Copycat Ken crossed his arms across his chest, smiling smug. "Well, if I told you everything that'll ruin all the fun, wouldn't it? Hiroshi has big plans for Ranma Saotome and his father, but I'm afraid he can't know that, not just yet. You've ruined my little masquerade. I can't stay here now as Soun Tendo without questions being asked, so I'm gonna hafto leave… and I'm taking you with me. The time is at hand."

And he grabbed her arm. Nabiki screamed.

--

Ranma returned home after a futile search for Ryoga. He was tired, but his mind was racing with unanswered questions. And one of the questions that topped the list was why would Ryoga attack the Kuno mansion and kidnap Kuno and Kodachi.

He was slipping off his shoes in the front hall when he heard a loud scream come from upstairs. He jumped into action and leapt the entire distance to the landing and then jumped over the banister to the second floor.

Akane burst out of her bedroom where she was doing homework and stood next to Ranma as he stood outside her door, she also heard the scream.

"It wasn't you?" Ranma questioned.

"No," she said. "It sounded like it came from dad's room."

Ranma ran to Soun Tendo's room and smashed through the door, breaking the hinges, but when he entered there was no one there. However, when he looked around the room the window was open; a breeze was blowing the curtains in a westward direction. He went to the window and looked out and saw a figure carrying another figure in his arms running down the street.

He bounded back down the stairs and ran out the front door to the street beyond, skidding to a halt on the sidewalk. He quickly surveyed the area, but couldn't see any sign of the shadowy figures.

Akane came running out of the house. "Ranma!" she shouted out to him. "Dad and Nabiki are gone!"

"They've been taken," a familiar voice said. Ranma jerked startled as Cologne suddenly appeared in front of him. "Copycat Ken just ran off with Nabiki, and Soun Tendo is locked away."

"What are you doing here, old ghoul?"

They went inside, and Kasumi made her a cup of tea. "Copycat Ken and Ryoga are working together under the influence of a demon known as Xi'an, the son of a powerful Warlord from the Futile Era, who tried to overthrow an Emperor of that time," she started to explain as they sat around the tea table. "He's out for revenge and he won't stop until his blood thirst is quenched. What he's been doing is only a precursor of what is to come. He's been building an army and he plans to unleash it after he kills you and your father. Where is your father, by the way?"

"He's working late at Dr. Tofu's clinic tonight," Ranma said.

"He's in great danger, you must get to him before they do," Cologne said.

"What's all this about, old ghoul," Ranma said. "I want answers now. Alotta strange things have been happening around here and I have a sneaking suspicion you know something about'em."

"Ryoga's taken Shampoo, Mousse and Ukyo," she added.

"What!" Ranma said outraged. "How; when?"

And she explained the circumstances of each of their abduction. And when she told the story, Ranma, Akane and Kasumi were shocked and dumbfounded that Ryoga and Copycat Ken would do such a thing. "As I explained earlier, they're both under the influence of Xi'an, and he won't be satisfied until you and your father pay for something done by one of your ancient ancestors to his family."

"Which ancestor, and what did he do that would cause this Xi'an person to hate Ranma and his father so intently?" Akane asked. Ranma had idled on the same question, but Akane got to ask it first.

"Who is this Xi'an character anyway?" Ranma added.

And Cologne went on to explain.

_**--to be continued…**_


	17. Chapter 16

**_I'm for-going the 20 chapter story statement I made in the previous chapter and continuing the story for as long as I see fit to finish it properly. So the chapters will be shorter again. I appreciate any feedback. I need it actually. I'd like to know if people like this story or not? Thanks._**

**_--_**

**_Ranma ½: The Enemy Within! Part XVI_**

"It's done, Master. All that you desire is now within your grasp," Ryoga said, kneeing on one knee before Oro Hiroshi, bowing his head, in the basement of the Hiroshi residence. Beside him was Copycat Ken, but he was standing, holding Nabiki Tendo. She struggled against his grip, but it was futile. He was too strong.

Oro Hiroshi looked at her with an annoyed stare, and said, "And what of this? Why have you brought me this girl? She was not on my list."

"Her name is Nabiki Tendo," Copycat Ken replied. "She discovered who I was, so I had to flee the Tendo residence with her in hand. Unfortunately, I think Ranma saw me. But he did not pursue."

"I might be able to use her," Oro Hiroshi said. He went over and cupped Nabiki's chin in his hand and grinned thinly. "I can use this girl as bait to lure Ranma to me. But I will still need Akane Tendo. She is the woman Ranma loves. With Akane as my hostage Ranma is assured to meet my challenge."

"Forgive me, Master," Copycat Ken said. "But why not just kill Saotome now and be done with it? You have the power to destroy him."

Oro Hiroshi released Nabiki's chin and looked at Ken with an annoyed stare. Ken looked down, afraid to look directly into his Master's eyes, ashamed he questioned his motives. Oro Hiroshi turned around and went to a throne made of skeleton bones and sat down. "You're a smart kid, Ken, but you fail to comprehend the reasoning behind my intention to kill Ranma and his father," he said casually. "I endowed you with some of my powers to aid in my plight, but you still have much to learn about honor and dignity."

He continued. "In order for my family name to be restored from the oblivion of dishonor and for my original body to be restored I must kill those who banished me to the eternal darkness, where souls reside restless forever. I have searched all over China and Japan for the last remaining survivors of the Saotome Clan and now that I have found them I will have my revenge. I will allow my father and my family to rest with honor."

"Whatever your plans are you won't get away with it," Nabiki suddenly said.

Oro Hiroshi looked at her semi-amused and raised a hand and silenced her with an invisible force. She collapsed limp in Copycat Ken's arms and he suddenly had to balance her weight to keep her from falling face first to the floor. Copycat Ken looked at him with a shocked look. "She's not dead," Oro Hiroshi said. "I've taken her soul. But hers will not be enough to lure Ranma Saotome to accept my challenge. You must kidnap Akane Tendo. By this time tomorrow my power will be at its zenith. Love is a very powerful emotion. In conjunction with anger love is said to conquer all. When I have killed Ranma Saotome and his father and taken then souls, my family will finally rest with the dignity and honor they deserve. And as they rest I will start to conquer and rebuild the Xi'an Clan and restore it back to its original glory. With you two as my field generals and my new army to command I will be unstoppable! No one on earth will be able to defy us!"

"No, this can't allow this to happen!" Ryoga retorted strongly.

He immediately grabbed the attention of Oro Hiroshi and Copycat Ken. Ryoga's face cringed with pain as he attempted to overcome the demon that was controlling his body. "I can't be a part of this, you must be stopped! I will not allow you to harm Akane!" Then he said, "Shut-up, you fool! You will obey the Master." He tightened. "Never," he then said. "He is not my master. No one commands me. I am my own master!"

"Ryoga, step forward," Oro Hiroshi said.

The demon once again regained control.

He stood before Oro Hiroshi apologetically. "I'm sorry, Master," the demon said. "It's getting more difficult to hinder the boy's influence. His spirit appears to be getting stronger, but I don't know how."

"I sense Ryoga was a strong willed individual when I first met him. But fear not, his efforts are in vain. After sundown tomorrow, he will not longer be a problem. Deal with him until then."

The demon bowed. "I will endeavor to subdue him until sundown tomorrow, Master," he said. "Thank you for your understanding."

--

Despite Cologne's strictest wishes Ranma ventured out into the streets late at night to look for Nabiki and any signs of Ryoga and Copycat Ken. But much to his hope he couldn't find them. It was then that he visited the Hiroshi residence and sensed an evil presence. The entire place was brimming with a powerful energy that those sensitive to such a thing could only feel. He was one of those people. He was a martial artist.

As he crept onto the property, he noticed that the retaining wall had still not been fixed and debris from the dojo was still littering the grounds. It was as they had started to clean up and then just forgot about it. Perhaps with the little deal Oro Hiroshi had made with Mr. Tendo, he figured that he didn't need his dojo anymore and would take over control of the Tendo Dojo. Why spend money on rebuilding one when you can just seize another one?

When he climbed the steps of the porch, he suddenly stopped and wrapped his arms around his shoulders. He felt a cold breeze coming from the front door and he started to see his breath. On a TV program he had watched a couple of weeks ago on ghosts and spirits it mentioned that when spirits were in the vicinity, the area suddenly got very cold. From what Cologne told him about Xi'an, and his spiritual presence… this could be what he was feeling.

Suddenly he jumped startled as he felt a hand cup his right shoulder. He turned around quickly and saw his father standing behind him and behind him were Akane, Kasumi & Cologne. "What the hell are you guys doin' 'ere?" he said quietly.

"We figured you might be here so we came to help you, boy," his father said.

"You shouldn't be 'ere," Ranma said. "This is no place for girls. Xi'an's 'ere. I can sense him."

"What are you sayin', Ranma? That Kasumi and I aren't good e'nuff to look for our sister?" Akane said, a little too loudly. And Ranma tried to wave her quiet. "Typical showvanistic attitude!" she then said. "You men always think that you're better than us just because we're female."

Ranma shushed her with a finger, then said, "Quiet down, you want'em to hear us?" He then said, "I'm not getting into a debate about who is better - though there's no contest. You girls shouldn't be here, especially Kasumi."

"I brought a frying pan," Kasumi said, holding it up.

"That'll hardly be useful in a fight with these guys," Ranma said. "Perhaps in a conventional fight, but not when they have spiritual powers. I want you three to go back home and wait until we return. It's safer. Pop and I can handle this."

"No!" Akane rebuked. "I'm here to rescue my sister and intend to do it. Nabiki is my sister and I have a right to be here."

Ranma went down the porch steps to her. "I'm not going to get into another argument with you, Akane, this isn't the time or the place," Ranma said. "I want you three girls to get outta 'ere so the men can fight."

Akane crossed her arms across her chest. "I aint leavin'," Akane said, standing firm.

"Maybe we should go," Kasumi said, being the voice of reason. "From what Cologne described, Xi'an is a pretty devious and formable character."

"You can leave, Kasumi, but I'm stayin' here to fight!"

"You can all stay and fight!" a voice boomed from the rooftop, and they looked up to see Ryoga standing on the arch of the two-story house. "It's early, Ranma, but I've decided to up the time table on our fight," he said. "My master isn't ready for you yet."

"What have you done with my sister?" Akane demanded.

"Nabiki Tendo is being prepared, like all the others I've kidnapped tonight," he said. "She will be inserted into the master's personal army. Much to our surprise, your sister wields some pretty interesting hidden talents. She has a warrior's spirit."

"Give her back!" Akane demanded further.

"E'nuff games, Ryoga! If you wanna fight then let's fight!" Ranma shouted.

Ryoga grinned and chuckled innately. "I knew you'd accept, Saotome," Ryoga said, and slid down the arch of roof, ripping tiles as he came down, flipping forward when he reached the gutters, performed a gymnastics flip and landed with perfect form on the ground. "I never told you I took gymnastics, did I? My mother thought it would be prudent for her son to know the gracefulness that it wielded. When my father died, she took over my training. She taught me more gymnastics than martial arts, but I've learned her training has come in very handy in the last couple of years especially when it's come to our battles, Ranma."

"You're boring me, Ryoga," Ranma said flatly. "If you wanna fight, then stop flapping your gums and let's get it on! And when you lose, you're gonna tell me where you've taken Nabiki and the others. I'm tried of playing whatever game you're playin'. You're a loser. I'd rather battle the Master. Where is he?"

"He's preparing at the moment, but I've been sent out to play with you. It's time to have a little fun."

"Bring it on!" He said, and readied himself.

"Ready to die, Saotome?" he said.

"I aint gonna hold back! I do anything to get my friends back!"

"That's the way I want it. No-holds barred. Anything goes. This is gonna be a fight to remember, trust me."

For some unexplained reason Ranma gulped nervous. He felt an intense evil aura around Ryoga intertwined with his own fighting spirit unlike he had felt before. There was a demonic spirit controlling Ryoga. He knew this was not going to be a typical battle like they'd had before.

**-- tbc**


	18. Chapter 17

_**RANMA ½ - THE ENEMY WITHIN CH17**_

* * *

"That fool!" Xi'an said, his eyes closed in mediation on the floor of his private chambers inside his dojo. "I told Ryoga under no circumstances to fight Ranma unless I agreed the time was right!"

He opened his eyes, and stood on his feet. With a simple telepathy, he summoned Copycat Ken to his self. Copycat Ken entered.

Xi'an immediately noticed Ken's new attire, all black, much like a priest's uniform but without the white collar. It suited him, more so the demon personality that resided in him.

"You summoned me, Master," Ken said.

"Yes; Ryoga has seen fit to disobey me and has engaged in a fight with Ranma before the chosen time. Seek him out and show him the error of his ways."

Ken bowed, and smiled with a sinister grin. "It will be my pleasure, Master." Ken suddenly put a hand to his forehead, his balance swayed. He grimaced in pain.

"What's wrong?" Xi'an said.

"I don't know, Master," Ken replied, blinking, and then quickly regained his composure. "It appears my host is fighting back. He has a strong spirit."

"Your host isn't a martial artist, he's merely a copycat trickster..."

"Agreed, Master. But his will has quickly spiked to a level I can't explain." Ken straightened, no longer in pain. "No matter, he can be overcome. I am stronger!"

Xi'an smiled. "You are indeed. I wouldn't have chosen you to serve under me if I didn't know your will was strong, much like mine. We have endeared those insufferable Jusenkyo springs for thousands of years clinging onto only our consciousness. Those weaklings will not beat us."

"I agree, Master. I will take care of the Ryoga matter now." And Ken left.

* * *

Lightning flashed across the sky as a sudden storm blew in. It was the perfect medium for his mood; dark and filled with aghast.

He had wanted to beat Ranma down ever since he had met him, ever since he trounced into his life when they were in grade school. Ranma used to steal bread from him at ever lunch hour, and then there was the curse; a curse that will forever be with him. Or, that's what happened to Ryoga Hibiki...

...his host.

But the demon that possessed Ryoga Hibiki now had a much deeper grudge, an anger against the Saotome Clan that had lasted for centuries. Now, with Ryoga's powers, it was finally time to settle the score.

And be damn Xi'an's plan!

Ryoga charged Ranma using the Breaking Point technique. With a finger, he made the ground explode beneath his feet, sending shards of debris in every direction, each its own sharp projectile.

The blast radius was relatively short and the shards hit him more so than Ranma; Ranma avoiding them with ease. And after several attempts with this technique, it quickly proved ineffective.

While a deadly technique, its strikes were clumsy and seemed to harm its host than his enemy. Ranma was uninjured, but Ryoga had several cuts and bruises.

Holes filled the fighting grounds, and there was very little place to maneuver. Why did Ryoga, his host, continue such a useless fighting technique, the demon wondered.

Luckily Ryoga had many more fighting technique in his arsenal, one of which Ranma had very little defense against. The Lion Roar Shot.

* * *

Ranma's eyes widened when he saw what Ryoga was about to do, use The Lion Roar Shot. It was the most powerful martial artist fighting technique he had even seen anyone do. And his arch rival had perfected it.

But while Ryoga used dark, negative emotions to fuel it, Ranma had a counteract, and adapted the LRS with positive emotion. Right now, he wasn't feeling very positive.

After everything that had happened, he knew he couldn't hurt his friend. Something evil was controlling Ryoga; Ranma could feel that dark aura surrounding, enveloping his rival.

And if the LRS was launched, Ranma knew he couldn't stop it. The demonic emotions that'd power it would certainly overcome any counter-measure Ranma could develop.

"Stop!" Akane suddenly shouted.

Ryoga stopped. His Lion Roar Shot ceased in mid-fusion. He looked at Akane. "And why do you stop me?" Ryoga said. "Hasn't this roach cause you enough pain emotionally to deem destruction? My host hates him, as should you. It's time Ranma Saotome pays for his crimes."

"What crimes, Ryoga?" Tendo said. "What has he done to you, that you want to murder him? Hurt him so badly?"

Ryoga turned to look at Ranma with utmost disdain. "Plenty! And I have harbored a deep hate for his family for centuries!"

Akane and Ranma looked at each other strangely, confused.

"Centuries?" Ranma said. "Okay, man. I know you're not Ryoga. Who the hell are you?"

Ryoga laughed. "I suppose there's no point in hiding any longer. I'll tell you everything, then I'll kill you!"

* * *

It took several minutes for the demon possessing Ryoga to explain Xi'an's, Oro Hiroshi's, plan to the others, including Copycat Ken's involvement, and what happened centuries ago involving a clash between Xi'an's family clan and the Saotome Clan, and how the Saotome Clan defeated Xi'an and banished Xi'an and this remaining followers spirits into the Jusenkyo springs. But it was all Ranma needed to know to finally put all the pieces of together to the mystery that had happened over the last couple of days.

"Where's Nabiki now?" Ranma demanded. "Where's Xi'an? Let me fight your Master!"

Ryoga shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't do that. Master Xi'an is in the final preparations of his plan and he's almost complete. I came here for a little fun before things starts to begin."

"So then, explain something to me. If your Master is so powerful, why all these theatrics? Why doesn't he just kill me and my father? We are the last remaining Saotome Clan members, I think?"

Ranma looked at his father, and Genma shrugged. "It never came up," he said. "I'll have to do some research."

"Why do you insist on asking so many questions?" Ryoga said. "I thought you were a martial artist, a fighter? People like you don't need to think or question things. Just accept things as they are. There are only two of your left!"

"We'll see, and you're about one thing..." Ranma said. "Over the years, I've learned brains beats brawn, that's why Ryoga's never defeated me. And that's why you can't."

Ryoga laughed. "Trying to goat me on, eh? It won't work. I'm smarter than you. And I've decided to let you live for a little while longer."

"How nice of you." Ranma smiled, folding his arms across his chest. "And let me guess, you'll give the Master the privilege of beating me? Ryoga, the martial artist, I know, won't like that."

"His issues with you are of no concern with me..."

Just then Ryoga folded over in pain, holding his head. He cried out in agony. Akane took a step towards him, but Ranma waved him off.

"No! Ranma Saotome is mine! No one will beat him but me!"

And in an eruption of emotion, Ryoga rose on his knees with his arms in the air and screamed, forcing the demonic presence inside him to spew out of his mouth and eyes.

After it had left him, Ryoga collapsed to the ground. What stood next to him was something in ghostly form and as black as night, red eyes, and with a promo-plasmic, wavy body.

"I will kill you!" It threatened, and attempted to reenter Ryoga's body.

But Ryoga had erected some form of spirital barrier that suppressed it from possessing his body once more.

"No more..." Ryoga muttered his breath, then slowly rose to his feet. He gazed into the blackness of the spirit. "Go back to your Master and tell him Ryoga Hibiki will no longer serve him!"

The demon cackled. "If not you, then I'll just possess another. Akane Tendo." The ghost lunged for her.

And with a blast of Chi energy generated from his core powered by the love he felt towards Akane, Ryoga destroyed the spirit into nothingness inches from Akane.

Ryoga collapsed to his knees weakened by the ordeal.

Akane came to stand next to Ryoga, put a hand on his shoulder. He looked up, tiredness in his eyes, huffing. He loved Akane with all his heart. Perhaps now this proved it to her.

"Thank you, Ryoga," she said. "You saved me, you saved Ranma, you saved everyone." She smiled.

But for some reason that wasn't the response he had wished for. In movies, the hero always got a kiss from the heroine when she was saved. Where was his kiss? And why was she thanking him for saving Ranma?

Ryoga turned his head, looked at Ranma. The guy was smiling. With contempt, he frowned at his rival. Even after everything, Ranma still got the girl.

Ryoga felt his heart sink, gloom surrounding it. But for Akane's sake, he would fake appreciation. "You're all welcome," he said, getting to his feet. His muscles felt strained, achy. But he would endear the pain. He had to stay strong for Akane.

"Okay, so what now?" said Ranma.

"Pathetic! Utterly pathetic!" came a voice from a near-by roof top. And Copycat Ken stood on the arch of this roof-top, looking down. "You came to find this fool and it ended up..."

"It's over Copycat Ken," Ranma vowed. "Ryoga's back with us!"

Copycat Ken jumped down, landing with ease to the ground. Ranma stood within meters of him, facing him.

"Laughable! The whole bunch of you! We knew Ryoga we stupid, just not this stupid!"

"Hey! I'll tear your limbs off for that remark!" Ryoga threatened.

Ranma waved him off, then said, "Tell your Master, Xi'an, Oro Hiroshi, or whoever, that we know all about him and his plans!"

"And that changes, what?" Ken said. "You think he'll just drop everything because someone knows? Ha! This way is more interesting. We can see you squirm!"

* * *

tbc


	19. Chapter 18

**____****RANMA ½ - THE ENEMY WITHIN CH18**

* * *

Xi'an frowned. He had felt the spirit inside Ryoga vanish, torn from existence by a powerful energy blast. His connection with the ethereal was like a marionette with a string and that string had been cut. Ryoga was now free of Xi'an's powerful influence, but only in spirit. He could still control the boy if necessary.

Ryoga Hibiki was very susceptible to suggestion, especially when it came to Akane Tendo being threatened.

* * *

Xi'an's minions were lined up side by side on their knees in his dojo: Shampoo, Mousse, Uyko and Nabiki Tendo; their eyes blank, starring into an abyss, for which only Xi'an controlled. They all had their special gifts.

They were under his influence, spell-cast with spiritual power.

His plans were almost ready. But before he could begin the final step, he needed the blood of Ranma Saotome and his father; and their broken, battered bodies at his feet, so he can present their souls to the Underworld, so his family's spirits could rest in peace, after centuries trapped in limbo.

Copycat Ken had the drive but he lacked the power to defeat Ranma and his father, Xi'an knew. However, Ken, injunction with Ranma's friends, could beat the last of the Saotome Clan.

"Go my warriors, kill Ranma Satome and his father, and bring their bodies back to me!" he ordered.

And without question, the four warriors left to do Xi'an's bidding.

* * *

"Come on, Copycat Ken; fight us!" Ranma demanded. "We can take you!"

Ken laughed, pulling out his change cloak. "I've studied you Ranma, and you to, Ryoga; there's nothing you know I can't copy!"

"Our fighting spirit!" Ryoga said. "You'll never copy that!"

Ranma smirked. "Ryoga can say some pretty corny things at times, but he's right! We've beat you before, Copycat Ken! And we can do it again even with all your tricks!"

Ken was straight-faced. "Not this time, Saotome. I've learned some new tricks, of my own learning and from Master Xi'an. Get ready to face the new and improved me!"

Ranma gulped nervously. Something told him that Copycat Ken wasn't bluffing.

* * *

Xi'an could feel the battle between Copycat Ken and the others was about to begin. His 2nd Lieutenant, Ken, was much stronger in will than the demon that possessed Ryoga was, and Xi'an knew Ken wouldn't fail.

He could also feel his four minions approaching the battlefield, which just happen to be the recently destroyed Tendo dojo. What a fitting place, he thought, to have a battle. It would be over the ruins of his ultimate triumphant.

And when all was done, the Hiroshi dojo would then be the most famous in Nerima, and soon in Japan.

But that would have to wait. The death of the last of the Saotome Clan would come first.

* * *

Ken scowled as he gazed across the line of his enemies from Ranma all the way to Ryoga. Along with them, Genma Saotome, Cologne, and Soun and Akane Tendo also joined the fray.

He knew he couldn't take them all on. Together they would overpower him physically. So he needed a plan; something to deceive them into defeating themselves, just like he had done when he had first met each one using his changing ability.

But the same trick won't work twice, he knew. And he started to feel a little weakened having to fight back the will of his host. He was feeling a headache coming on.

"Next time, Ranma Saotome," Ken finally said. "My master will deal with all of you in do time."

"You running away? Coward!" Ranma barked.

"A wise man knows the odds and doesn't tempt fate!" Ken said.

Ken felt four strong souls approaching his position; they were demonic souls controlled by his master inhabiting hosts. He smiled. "I'll depart now, but feel free to play some more." Ken turned and leapt over the enclosure wall of the next door property.

His master's plan was coming to fruition, he knew. And these four ensnared hosts will be Ranma and his father's undoing.

There was no way Ranma would be able to hurt his friends. Despite battling them before, this time it was different. Ranma would have to kill them to defeat them with those demons inhabiting the bodies of his friends.

Ranma had the discipline and the heart of a martial artist, but he was no killer. And that is precisely why he would lose!

* * *

When Ken left, Ryoga had wanted to run after him. But Ranma stopped him. He felt something ominous coming and he would need Ryoga's help to face it.

Ranma's eyes narrowed, searching the surrounding area around him. He turned 360 degrees. He felt something strange, a spiritual coldness that he couldn't explain in lamens terms. All he knew was it felt...evil.

"What is it, Ranma?" Akane asked.

"I...don't know. Stay on your guard. We're about to have company."

And as on cue, his feeling was confirmed. On the roof top of a nearby house stood Shampoo, Mousse, Uyko and Nabiki, bathed in shadow from a setting sun that cast it's last remaining glow over the horizon.

"Guys!" Akane said elated.

"Nabiki, my dear!" Soun Tendo cried out. "You've come home!"

"They escaped Xi'an!" Genma said.

But Ranma continued to hold a battle stance; clenched his teeth. His gaze strongly focused on the quartet.

"What is it, boy?" Ranma heard his father say. But Ranma didn't turn to reply. "What's the matter?"

"Something's wrong!" Ryoga confirmed Ranma's feeling. "It's not them. I mean, it's them but they're possessed! Just like I was!"

Ranma sighed deeply. "Ryoga's right, and nd they're much, much stronger!"

* * *

To be continued…


	20. Chapter 19

Ranma ½ - The Enemy Within - CHAPTER 19

* * *

Ranma didn't know what to do.

He had always been taught that a martial artist was supposed to think on his feet with quick, decisive actions. But at the immediately moment, his mind was a total blank. Or was it just shock to see all his friends now under the demonic influence of Xi'an?

His father wasn't giving him any advise, so he knew he had to do something on his own.

But he was surprised. he thought his friends were stronger-willed that this!

He stood frozen, afraid that the slightest movement could trigger an unwanted response from his now present foes in Uyko, Shampoo, Mousse and...

…Nabiki?

How the hell did Nabiki get mixed up in all this?

Oh yes, CopyCat Ken had kidnapped her when she confronted him, he remembered now. Mr. Tendo had told him after the dojo was destroyed.

Ranma shook his head in disbelief. he couldn't attack her. Nabiki was not a martial artist. She knew a thing or two about gymnastics, but Akane's older sister was no fighter. If Nabiki was badly hurt - especially by something he did - he wouldn't be able to forgive himself.

The other three, however, he _could _fight! Ranma had fought each of them before. On a separate bases, he recalled. But never all three at the same time. This was going to be a major challenge! Perhaps the biggest in his young life!

And they all had hard fighting techniques.

Shampoo was trained in China. She was taught by Cologne, and Ranma had barely beat her when they fought when they first met.

Ranma had defeated Shampoo in China during an in-clan competition. Little did he know at the time, it would cause him to become even more cursed more than he already was - with a kiss of death, delivered by Shampoo, to force him to run away from her unless be killed by her stated by Amazon tradition. On top of that, his better half, male-half, had also defeated Shampoo in a separate fight, and thus she vowed to marry him. Yet another Amazon tradition.

Lucky things worked out for the better, and instead of Shampoo trying to kill him, she just wanted to marry him...seduce him, sleep with him, and be his girlfriend. It was all a bit overwhelming actually. She was very beautiful, but he wasn't ready to engage in that kind of relationship yet.

But of course, then there was Mousse. Shampoo's so-called insane, crazily-obsessive boyfriend from China. Well, it was Mousse's fantasy he was her boyfriend, and he did everything to prove it, proclaim his love to her. He would absolutely wouldn't allow anything between Shampoo and Ranma. Thus, tried to beat him at every turn, almost doing so on numerous occasions; Mousse had had a crush on Shampoo ever since he and Shampoo were kids, and he continued to indulge in an unhealthy fantasy that they would be a couple. Shampoo flat out refused she had any interest in Mousse.

But there were times when Shampoo did care for Mousse and there was no denying it.

As far as Ranma was concerned, let him have her. Shampoo was beautiful, but he felt he was too young to get married. Besides, he was already engaged…

Well, sort of!

Last but least, that left Ukyo Kuonji, who was also betrothed to him. It was a deal Ranma's father had made when Ranma was a kid, to get his hands on Uyko's father for his Okonomiyaki's business. A stupid, foolish trick that later would leave Ranma with yet another fiancée. Ranma still fumed over that little stunt. And yet, Uyko was cute, in a tom-boyish kind of way. Which didn't mean a bad thing.

And of course there was Akane whom he was officially engaged to be married to.

All together, it was a crazy world he lived in, and if was happening to something else, he would laugh.

He was actually quite surprised Kuno's sister, Kodachi, hadn't been taken to be one of Xi'an's personal fighters. For that, he lucked out.

But that didn't mean he would end up the victor here, even with Ryoga and the others at his side.

"We can't hurt them," Ranma said finally. "They're innocent. Xi'an is controlling each one of them to do his bidding."

"Then what do we do?" Ryoga said.

The quartet of foes jumped down off the roof and landed safely to the ground. All were armed with their weapons of choice; familiar to Ranma; and each as deadly as the last.

All except Nabiki, Ranma curiously saw. Who had...what did she have in her hand? Was that a rolled up piece of paper? What kind of weapon was that? Was she going to whack him over the head with it? Some weapon!

Nabiki was first to approach him while the others stood back with that rolled up paper in hand. Ranma readied himself preparedly, instinctively, like he had been taught.

"Careful, boy," Genma, Ranma's father said. "Women are always the trickiest!"

Ranma nodded, heeding his father's advise. And from personal experience, Ranma totally agreed.

He halted her with a hand when she got within arm's reach. "Stop Nabiki, I don't want to hurt you!"

"You wouldn't dare," Nabiki said smugly.

"I don't want to," he glanced slightly to Akane, "but I will defend myself if I have to!"

"I have no intention of fighting you, Ranma," Nabiki said. "I'm merely the go-between."

"Huh?"

Ranma's brow folded. He gave a glance to the others. Shampoo, Mousse and Uyko were all ready for a fight with weapons in hand. He had thought it odd Nabiki didn't have a weapon of her own, but of course she wasn't a fighter. Xi'an would know this, as would the demon possessing her. Nabiki wouldn't have a chance against him.

Then why was she here? And what did she mean that she was _the go-between_?

Quite suddenly, Nabiki reached out, and took hold of Ranma;s shirt. He was wearing his favorite red shirt, the one that buttoned up the front, and she ripped it open with force exposing his chest and stomach. He had not put on an undershirt this morning like he normally did. When the excitement started, he just grabbed the first thing he saw off the floor when he was awoken.

He leapt back after the unexpected attack, dumb struck. He felt his front, looked at his shirt and blinked in awe.

"Why..."

But before he could reason it out, Nabiki took the piece of paper and plastered it across his front with some sort of adhesive she had on her person. The glue immediately solidified to his skin.

"What the hell is this?" he said. He attempted to rip it off, but it adhered to his skin and every pull felt like he was ripping his own skin off with it. He stopped.

Nabiki backed off.

There was writing on it, but he couldn't quite read it from the angle he was looking down at.

He looked at Akane. "Whads it say?"

Akane read it, gasping. She then looked back at Ranma in awe. She turned to Nabiki. "Nabiki, why would you do this?"

"What! What is it?" Ranma demanded.

Akane looked at Ranma. "It's a marriage license."

Ranma felt like his eyes were about to bulge out of their sockets. "No! No! Get it off! Get it off!" Ranma peeled at it, wailed, struggled to yank it off his skin, but to no avail.

Nabiki wasn't a martial artist, but she did have one devious skill that Ranma and everyone who she came in contact with her failed to win against - she was a master manipulator!

Distracted, Ranma didn't see the next attack come. And something flew, pierced his stomach with a sharp jab like a dart.

It was a ball-point pen!

The point of the pen was sharp enough that it stuck in his stomach part-way.

He cried out in pain. But immediately yanked it out, blood covering the tip. The contract was now stained with his blood just at the line where he would have to sign it with his own name to make it official. And in some cultures, blood was just as good as a signature.

And Akane's name had been forged on the other line.

* * *

tbc


	21. Chapter 20

RANMA ½ - THE ENEMY WITHIN - CHAPTER 20

* * *

Ancient Japan was a land written in blood and they had traditions that stretched back to the beginning of history, some of which were recorded on parchment. Some in ink, some with blood. Ranma remembered seeing one such parchment under glass at a museum when his homeroom class visited during a school trip.

But Ranma was glad this was not ancient Japan.

In modern times, without his signature, this marriage license glued to his chest wasn't legal despite Akane's signature and his own blood stained where his name would be written.

Ranma threw the pen down and held his stomach. It ached, blood flowing from the wound through his fingers. He folded over slightly, grit his teeth, the sting of it making him cringe.

"Ranma, are you okay?" asked Akane, her eyes filled with concern.

Ranma nodded, faking a smile. No, he wasn't alright. The pen had penetrated deep into his stomach, much further than it appeared to enter. Nabiki had thrown it hard. But he was a martial artist, and he'd fight through the pain, preserve, like he always did!

Suddenly he heard Nabiki shout an order. "Attack them!" acting as leader to the quartet. And the others did exactly that, pouncing on Ranma and the others like wild animals upon their prey.

* * *

Akane positioned herself in front of Ranma. She knew with his injury that he wouldn't be able to immediately defend himself from the others' attacks. So she readied herself.

But she never expected at attack to come from her own sister.

Caught off guard, Nabiki yanked her away so the others could attack the others without Akane's interference, and Akane was tossed, thrown to the ground, with some force that it surprised Akane. Akane rolled a couple of times before coming to a stop. When she looked back, Nabiki stood blocking her view of the others.

Akane could feel the dark aura surrounding Nabiki was powerful. The strength of that throw was unbelievable. And there was something about it that she couldn't comprehend have come from her sister. It was a hidden power from demonic presence inside Nabiki. But there was also something else about it that Akane didn't quite understand yet.

"Stand up!" Nabiki demanded. "You shame the family! Father has promised you to Ranma! Why don't you just obey like a good girl?"

There it was. Did Nabiki hold a secret grudge against her about her that evoked such avarice of anger. Was she shaming the family by not obeying her father's wishes by marrying Ranma as promised? "I don't want to marry him!" Akane said. But there was a small part of her that questioned that.

While the engagement between her and Ranma was made even before either was born, there was something about Ranma - his mannerisms, his strength, his handsomeness - that did give him a certain amount of attractiveness that Akane found she liked.

All the girls at school fond over him. He was the kind of guy who had the full package, everything a girl wanted in a guy. Recalling further, then there was all those who wanted to marry him like Shampoo, Ukyo, and even Kodochi Kuno.

His arrogance was the only thing Akane didn't like about Ranma. She knew all these girls who adore him wasn't his fault, but it made her jealous nonetheless. She wouldn't admit her jealousy. A lot those other girls were prettier than she was with their hourglass, slim figures and long, gorgeous hair. But she would never admit her envy.

She had grown her hair long because of a crush she had on Dr. Tofu years back. But after a battle between Ranma and Ryoga, her hair was chopped by one of Ryoga's spinning bandanas. She had trimmed it, but that alluringness she once felt, much like the attention Dr. Tofu gave her oldest sister Kasumi, wasn't there anymore. She at long, brown, beautiful hair. Ranma did say he liked her new look…

But they always argued too. Was that was a successful marriage was about? Arguing? She was young to get married at this point in her life anyway, she had decided. Perhaps that's why there was so much tension between her and Ranma. They were thrust upon each other to marry and they obviously created a certain amount of animosity. To marry a person you didn't know would make anyone mad.

"I don't want to marry Ranma," she repeated calmly. "That doesn't mean..." She gave him a glance, but he was looking the other way. "We'll decide later…" Leaving the decision up in the air. "But for not now…"

Akane got to her feet, straightened.

But Nabiki smacked her in the face with a hand suddenly.

Akane grabbed her face awestruck. Was her reluctance to marry Ranma really bothering Nabiki that much, or was this some sort of trick? Yes, this was not the Nabiki she knew, this was not the kind sister she knew. The demon inside must be using what Nabiki knew best to manipulate and provoke a reaction. Nabiki was a master manipulator.

Akane pusher her hot-headedness aside, a trait she knew she would have to work if she and Ranma did manage to make their engagement work.

"Let my sister go!" Akane demanded speaking to the demon inside her sister. "Or so help me, I'll hurt you!"

Nabiki smirked. "Bring it on!"

The demon had called her bluff!

* * *

Ryoga Hibiki was tackled to the ground by Mousse. It was an unusual tactic by the self-proclaimed master of hidden weapons, but it had worked. Here, Mousse quickly shackled Ryoga's hands together with iron bindings. There was one foot of chain between the bindings and two heavy iron balls attached to each one.

Ranma was still severely injured, and Ryoga passed him off to someone else while he dealt with this threat.

Practically immobile, Mousse was able to attack Ryoga at will with very little resistance. Without his Breaking Point technique attacking the ground beneath Mousse became impossible, Ryoga decided.

But Ryoga still had the Lion Roar Shot.

Nothing Mousse couldn't stop the Lion Roar Shot. It was a spiritual technique and not anything any of Mousse's toys could stop physically.

"_Fist of the White Swan_!" cried Mousse.

Mousse tried to smack Ryoga with a child's potty in the face. But Ryoga was able to defend himself by getting his right leg up vertically, kicking it from Mousse's grip.

The potty soared high in the air. Mousse followed it visually. And as it dropped, Ryoga used the distraction to launch a small, concentrated attack of pent up spiritual energy, forming a spirit bomb of sorts from raw, depressive emotion using the Lion Roar Shot, and launched it from chest level at Mousse.

But Mousse deflected it with another hidden toy he had on his person under his clothes.

Ryoga launched several more attacks via the same manner in quick succession, but Mousse either deflected them or moved out of their way, avoiding them with ease. None got through to him. Although they weren't practically powerful bursts either.

Ryoga bared his fangs. Fangs that had grown from poor dental care. They were called "eye teeth" he recalled.

He was frustrated. But when the potty finally fell to eye level, Ryoga took advantage. He kicked it at Mousse hard, hitting the master of hidden weapons straight in the chin, knocking him over backwards. Mousse landed with a hard thud. Dirt spat from underneath him as he landed kicked up from the impact.

With use of the Lion Roar Shot energy, Ryoga broke Mousse's bindings. He surrounded his entire body with its raw power - aging the metal, freeing himself. He stood battle-ready once more. Since he had learned the technique, he had learned the many facets the power had, including something recently he discovered about it. By focusing the energy he could mentally dissolve anything and turn it to dust, but in short bursts only.

Mousse got to his feet slowly, rubbing his chin.

Ryoga had no qualms about hurting this guy. The guy was a jerk, obsessive and quite annoying. A demon was manipulating his actions. But Ryoga couldn't care less. He had tangled with Mousse a couple of times to know how stupid the guy was, and what his ultimate weakness was. Did the demon know Mousse's weakness?

Ryoga smiled, as Mousse adjusted his glasses. Mousse's glasses were his Achilles Heel. If Ryoga could relieve Mousse of them, then Mousse would be helpless. Without them, Mousse was as blind as a bat.

* * *

To be continued...


	22. Chapter 21

RANMA ½ - THE ENEMY WITHIN - CHAPTER 21

* * *

A battle cry of "Ha!" came from Soun Tendo and Genma Saotome in unison.

But it didn't seem to faze the female Amazon Chinese martial artist, and Shampoo attacked them mercilessly.

Soun was the first to fall.

But all Shampoo wanted to do was get the thin, long-haired man out of the way for her real target. She didn't want to hurt him, just incapacitate him for which she did exactly that.

She had originally decided to go after Ranma, but then these two declared their intentions and she was forced to alter her plans.

But these two were only a minor nuisance, even Ranma's father was no match for her. The old man, despite built like a bear with muscle, was a weakling to her skill and power and swiftness.

How on earth did Ranma get so strong with this man as his martial arts teacher was beyond her.

Genma Saotome was putting up more of a fight than Soun Tendo, who now lay unconscious on the ground, hit across the side of the head with one of Shampoo's bonbari, her weapon of choice. She had two.

They stemmed from Amazon tradition. They looked like two beach balls on sticks, but they were hard and light and versatile to use. And Shampoo used them as if they were an appendage to her own body, whacking swiftly at Genma Saotome's body.

Genma collapsed to one knee weakened. But apparently the man had an ace up his sleeve, or rather in his Gi.

The man pulled out a flask of water and poured it over himself activating his curse. He turned from human into a large and menacing looking panda bear that rose at least five feet higher than Shampoo.

She took a couple of steps back to take in his entire height. He towered over her.

He bared his fangs and extended his sharp claws.

Genma, rejuvenated with the change, swiped hard and fast with those claws at the Amazon warrior.

He growled a protest at her defense, which was proving useless against him at the moment. She blocked his blows with her bonbari.

He attacked her just like she did him, mercilessly.

She seemed to block attack after attack, yet it pushed her back.

But was it merely a ploy? The Amazon was much smarter and savvy than this, Genma thought.

And then it came.

Hunger pains? Genma's stomach growled louder than his bear growl. It was thunderous!

He folded over, holding his stomach. He growled something at her, reaching out with a paw, relented in his aggressiveness.

He always had a weakness for food, and with all the activity recently, he had forgotten to eat lunch.

A wooden sign popped up: "Feed me!" It said.

The Amazon stood flabbergasted, her eyes wide with surprise and shock. She blinked a couple of times, as if what she was seeing was some sort of joke.

But an opportunity had presented itself, and with a light tap to his head with one of her bonbari, as if that would do it, Genma Saotome dropped unconscious, his head landed face first in the dirt.

* * *

"Pop!" Ranma cried, as he saw his father defeated.

Shampoo turned to Ranma at the sound of his voice.

But her great-grandmother, Cologne suddenly leapt in between them, as Ranma readied himself.

"I'll handle this, son-in-law!" Cologne said, holding a hand up. "Stop this child! Fight this demon that infests you!" she said to Shampoo.

But Shampoo ignored Cologne's heeding words and attacked her.

Cologne pushed Ranma out of the way with her walking stick, as if pressing the matter that she wanted to fight Shampoo alone.

Cologne swung her walking stick to stop each blow from Shampoo's bonbari. But she couldn't believe how fast Shampoo had become under the influence of the demon, and she could barely keep up.

She knew Shampoo was stronger than this mentally. All Amazon women went through grueling mental exercises to strengthen their wills. And yet, it appeared the mentality of the demon was just as strong as hers.

Cologne could sense a powerful demon spirit within Shampoo, one she had never felt before.

But that momentary lapse from combat cause her. And Cologne screamed as an attack got through.

Shampoo pressed on with continued quick strikes. Hard and fast, breaching Cologne's defenses. Defenses built up through 4,000 years of Chinese history fighting techniques.

Soon realizing that she had taught her great-grandchild too well, and because she was family, or perhaps underestimating the demons tenacity, or maybe age may have finally caught up to her - with all her determination and unending strength - Cologne fell.

She was tossed back like a rag doll after one of Shampoo's bonbari hit her square on. And she landed, skidding across the ground, making a long path.

She tried to get up.

Cologne saw tears in Shampoo's eyes, streaming down her cheeks.

"Poor child," Cologne muttered.

Shampoo was merely an observer in her own body. Those tears were her way of trying to reach out.

"I'm listening, my child!" Cologne said.

Ranma ran over to her, and despite the pain he felt in his stomach, he knelt down beside her.

"Ranma, please help Shampoo," Cologne said. "She needs you."

"I will," he said.

"Ranma, tis you I now kill, for master!" were the last words Cologne heard before she blacked out, tears of sadness forming in her own eyes.

* * *

Shampoo turned to Ranma.

"Wait!" he said, putting up a hand. He didn't want to fight her like this, but if he had to - he had to be ready. He got to his feet.

It was then he noticed Ukyo standing near-by, and his heart sank. Two of them, now.

He shook his head. He would have to fight them both, and in his condition, he didn't know if he could win.

But as he looked at Ukyo, she just seemed to be standing there, staring at him, her eyes narrowed.

He held his stomach, the blood continued to flow from the wound Nabiki had inflicted with the pen, the marriage license still plastered to his chest. His entire hand was red now.

Why won't this wound heal? He felt a little dizzy, but he straightened; wouldn't let the weakness show. Then he remembered a little medical tidbit about tissues in the stomach.

He had seen this medical show on television awhile back. There was nothing else on and he was too tired to do anything else. So he watched the problem.

It talked about how the stomach was one of the most sensitive areas of the body to get injured and the most painful. Something about more muscle tissue than anywhere else in the body, and if damaged, the tissue would rip the mid-section like rice paper, shredding with each movement until repaired or it repaired itself. But the glue from the marriage license kept pulling the tissue away from the wound keeping it open.

That's what the sensation he was feeling - like his stomach was ripping from the inside. And he had yanked out the pen quickly, which caused even more damage. Like stabbing someone, twisting the blade so the wound won't heal.

The demon inside Nabiki knew exactly what it was doing when it did this to him!

Damn! If he lost anymore blood, he'd black out!

The okonomiyaki cook held her giant spatula above her head, her weapon of choice. It was also a cooking tool she carried it everywhere.

But as she stood there, Ranma saw fight in Ukyo's eyes. No, not fight - but struggle. She was fighting the urge to attack him, to obey the demon that possessed her body. Unlike Shampoo. Or was it what he wanted to see, hoping for?

Ukyo was a strong woman. She had to be, to come back from a devastating betrayal that Ranma's father did to her and her father's business. Stealing it, as he later came to know.

But Ranma knew Ukyo was a survivor. But could she really survive this?

Could he?

* * *

Tbc.


	23. Chapter 22

RANMA ½ - THE ENEMY WITHIN - CHAPTER 22

* * *

Long before she had become his fiancée, Ranma and Ukyo had been friends. Well, very well-known acquaintances anyway.

While Ranma had been traveling on a decade-long training journey across China with his father, he had got to know Ukyo quite well. She and her father were traveling okonomiyaki salesmen with a cart. This is how they made a living.

On an consistent bases, Ranma would ask for some okonomiyaki, and if he could defeat Ukyo in battle, he would get some. Sufficed to say, despite her martial arts training, he won every time.

Due to his naiveté when he was a kid, he originally thought Ukyo was a boy because she acted like one. Even now, she acted like a tomboy wearing a male uniform to school.

But despite her lacking in martial arts - although she was a pretty worthy opponent sometimes - more so, she was a hell of a cook! And this is where her true strength lied. He could never cook like her. Not in his wildest dreams! Ukyo had him beaten hands down in that area.

He had hoped they had a strong friendship by now, and not one just based on all this annoying fiancée stuff. In fact, he was banking on it. But now Ukyo being possessed by a demonic being didn't give him much self-assurance in that hope.

Ukyo wasn't as forthright with their "engagement" to him as some of the other girls were, like Shampoo, or obsessed over him like Kodachi Kuno. But she did like him, he knew that for sure. And he liked her, but in a platonic way.

Like a very good friend…

He didn't want to marry her.

But as for hanging around with her, _that_he enjoyed. She felt just like one of the guys, and he was comfortable around her in that way. But he knew she wanted more, a relationship. Not necessarily a commitment, but the start of something. Well, it was something he wasn't ready to give to anyone right now in his life.

He always said getting rid of his curse was his top priority. Once that was done, if it could be done, then he would start thinking about other things like dating.

Ukyo's hands were gripped tightly around the long handle of the giant spatula she both cooked with and fought with, and Ranma prepared himself for the most likely outcome that she would attack him. Whack him in the face or body like she had done numerous times before. It had all been out of playfulness, but now under the control of Xi'an, play time was over.

But her hands were shaking, and with a closer look, it appeared that her whole body was shaking, as if she was fighting against something; her body, and the urge to attack.

She had jumped down with the others, ready to engage him in combat, but had not attacked like the others did. He had wondered why. Now he knew, or he hoped he knew.

"Ranma...help me! It's...too strong!" She finally spoke, pleading.

That was his confirmation!

"Fight it, Ukyo! Don't let it win! I know you can..." Ranma cringed at a sudden sharp pain in his stomach. "We're engaged, but we're also friends. Best friends!" He smiled. "I can't help you. You must push that demon out yourself!"

He sighed, calmed himself. "We've fought before, mostly because I did stupid things...and you've hit me countless times, and I admit I've acted stupidly in certain situations...but I can't see you striking me in misdirected anger. It's not me you need to fight. It's that demon spirit inside you!"

"But it's too strong! It's taking all my strength to hold it back!"

He knew Ukyo was weakening, her resolve was strong, but against a demonic being's influence, he didn't know how long Ukyo could last without succumbing to it.

"I know you can do it, Ukyo," he said, taking a few steps to her, and took a risk. He reached out his hand. "Take my hand. And join me. Help me beat Xi'an. I need you."

"No! Keep hands away!" Shampoo's voice screamed.

And Ranma jumped back, avoiding her strike. He grit his teeth from the leap, as one of her bonbari came smashing to the ground where he once stood, leaving a small crater.

"You girl..." He said to Ukyo, "...you stay away from Ranma! He mine!"

Something in that declaration had a ring of the old Shampoo knew. Shampoo loved him, or maybe it was Amazon law that drew her to him, but her tone was not that of anger but of want, desire; an almost obsessive nature to it.

Shampoo faced Ranma. "You come with me to master," Shampoo said. "He..." Tears streamed down her face and Shampoo suddenly looked over at her great-grandmother. "He...master want you dead..."

"Shampoo, fight it! Don't let Xi'an win! He made you hurt her..." Ranma pointed to Cologne. "That demon inside you is evil!"

She looked at him, and that evil look at moment ago when she attacked him had changed to sorrow. Shampoo was a strong-willed girl, Ranma knew. If anyone could cast out that demon inside her by sheer will, it was Shampoo.

But he knew she needed more of a push.

"He made you hurt her! Xi'an's as evil as they come! I need you..." He looked at Ukyo and Shampoo successively. "...both! I need both of at my side! Together we can beat Xi'an and the rest of his dark army!"

This wasn't like him, it almost seemed out of character for him. He wasn't an emotional guy like this. But he knew desperate times called for desperate measures.

And with those final words, it seemed he had broken through to them.

Shampoo dropped her bonbari and ran over to her great-grandmother to see if she was okay, a strange dark like aura mist flying off her as she ran. The demon was departing.

Then Ukyo did something very unorthodox, something he never would have expected. She ran to him and hugged him. Wrapping her arms around him in an embrace.

Ranma's face flushed, his eyes widened. He stuttered out: "Ukyo...what…are you doing?"

Ukyo pulled back. She smiled. "I'm hugging to say thank you. You reached out finally. And the demon inside me left because of that." She gave him a kiss on the cheek.

He swallowed nervously and looked around haphazardly for Akane. He hoped Akane hadn't seen that. She got so jealous whenever any other girl paid him any kind of attention.

"Oh," he said, realizing his failing to understand. "But you're not gonna go all girly on me now and say we have to get married after this, are you?"

Ukyo frowned. "You sure know how to ruin a beautiful moment, don't you!"

"I...I..."

Ukyo then said, "I don't know why, but I felt the demon inside me didn't want to fight, as if it was being forced to. But had to, as it too was under another influence. Maybe that's what all Xi'an's army consists of - unwilling demons forced to obey his power?"

"Then we have a way to stop him!"

Ukyo continued. "It was female; the demon inside me..." She put a hand to her chest. "...and your words touched its heart. It felt sad, as if it had lost a lover. I felt it had been summoned unwantedly by Xi'an to serve him. It left me without a fight." Ukyo looked at him, smiling. "But did you really mean what you said? Do you really need me?"

Ranma's face flushed. "Well, I..." Then he smiled. "You do make the best okonomiyaki around. How will I get my fill?"

Ukyo's eyes narrowed harshly. "Ranma..."

Ranma's eyes widened once more, and he smiled nervously.

_Oops_, he thought. "Just kidding," he said.

Ranma and Ukyo followed Shampoo to her great-grandmother. Shampoo knelt next to Cologne. The old woman lay motionless on the ground.

Ukyo bent down and pressed two fingers to the old woman's neck. She looked at the others and sighed relief. "There's a pulse, but it's feint. She'll need time to recover."

"Oh, great-grandmother. Shampoo so sorry."

Ukyo put a hand on the Amazon girls shoulder in comfort. "It wasn't your fault, Shampoo. Don't blame yourself. Xi'an's the blame!" She clenched a fist. "We've broken free of his demonic influence. He can't touch us now."

Ranma looked over his shoulder. "Not all of us," he said, as he observed Mousse and Nabiki. "We need to help'em!"

Ranma groaned.

Ukyo said, "You have to help yourself, Ranma. That's a bad injury."

"And look at all that blood!" Shampoo chimed in. "Xi'an will pay for this!"

Ranma agreed that his wound was bad, but he was more concerned about the others. About Akane.

"Worry about me later. We gotta help'em!"

* * *

To be continued...


	24. Chapter 23

RANMA ½ - THE ENEMY WITHIN - CHAPTER 23

* * *

Soun Tendo was unconscious, struck over the head by one of Shampoo's bonbari, and he was dreaming.

He recounted escaping Ryoga as Ryoga tried to kidnap him and Nabiki.

Ryoga couldn't handle the both of them, and Nabiki struggled enough that Ryoga needed all his focus and both hands to deal with her. So Soun was freed so Ryoga could deal with her hostility.

"Run, Daddy, run!" Nabiki said. "Save yourself!"

She pulled, trying to free herself from Ryoga's vice-like grip.

"No, sweetheart! Daddy will save you!"

"Stop struggling, you..." Ryoga started, and then slapped Nabiki across the face with the back of his hand, knocking her out. He draped her over a shoulder, her body limp.

"You bastard!" It was the first time Soun Tendo ever remembered hearing himself swear. And he attacked the young martial artist.

But even with the extra weight, Ryoga still managed to avoid Soun's strikes. Ryoga was much faster than Soun ever imagined.

"Stop playing around with him!" a voice came from a rooftop nearby. Copycat Ken stood poised steady on the arch of a clay shingled rooftop. "You've got what the master needs. Let's go!"

Ryoga glanced at Ken, then back at Soun. Ryoga tilted his head slightly and snorted. He smiled sinister and then leapt to the rooftop next to Ken.

"No! Give back me my little girl!" Soun Tendo cried. "Please! I beg you!"

"Nabiki Tendo is necessary to our master's plan," Ken said. "We attempted to get one other..." He looked at Ryoga. Ryoga looked away as if guilty or embarrassed. "But the sister of Takewaki Kuno, one of Ranma Saotome's greatest so-called rivals, was apparently too much for my colleague here to handle. So we had to silence her."

"Silence her?" Soun said. "You didn't..."

"No, we didn't kill her," Ken replied, swiping a hand through the air. "She just won't be waking up anytime soon! Our master has made sure of that! So, go back to your family, and tell them what has occurred. But heed my master's warning. He will have his revenge!"

And with that, the two rouges vanished, jumping off the roof and onto another, using the neighbourhood, each house, as stepping stones to escape.

Soun Tendo dropped to his knees and cried. And as he made his way home, to his now destroyed dojo, he thought how he was going to tell his family what had happened.

How could he let this happen? He was Nabiki's father. He was suppose to protect her. But he let her down. How would she ever forgive him?

Kasumi was waiting at front door, and Soun was shocked to now see Ranma, Akane, Genma and Cologne there as well.

It was here the whole story of Xi'an was told by Cologne. Shampoo and Ukyo had also been kidnapped.

And as he listened, he couldn't believe his ears. Everything that had been occurring: the new dojo opening up, recent hostile encounters by friends, the kidnappings, and the attacks, were all apart of one man's revenge. Oro Hiroshi, a man who had a rival martial arts dojo in the neighbourhood.

And this was all happening for what happened between Ranma and Hiroshi's ancestors a thousand years ago at Jusenkyo.

When the battle began at the destroyed dojo later, he recalled, Soun agreed to fight with Ranma and the others. But he hadn't been much help.

He could feel himself regaining consciousness, hearing voices now, but his head hurt. He and Genma had been fighting Shampoo; that was the last thing he remembered.

Soun opened his eyes to see his friend Genma laying unconscious on the ground next to him. "Saotome! Are you alright?"

Genma groaned and held up a wooden sign. It said: "_Feed me!_"

"You and your stomach, Saotome! Is food all you think about?"

"Father!" Kasumi came running over to him, holding a frying pan in her hand. "Are you alright? I've been watching the fighting from a distance."

"We're alright for the time being," Soun said. "But Saotome is hungry."

Another sign popped up. "_Can't fight on an empty stomach!_"

"Come inside, quickly!" Kasumi urged. "Let the other's do the fighting."

"But what about Nabiki? And Akane? We need to help them!"

Kasumi gave a look to Ranma at a distance, who smiled seeing Soun Tendo and his father awake. He nodded at Kasumi.

The fighting had left the surrounding area enclosure fences destroyed from many houses. So the battlefield was now very large.

Ranma then shouted with hands around his mouth: "Inside, take them inside!"

Kasumi herded Soun and Genmi inside the house. Soun didn't want to go, and struggled. But Kasumi was much stronger than she looked.

"You save my little girls, Ranma!" Soun shouted as he was carted inside.

And as he was dragged, another thought popped inside his mind. Where was Happosai in all this? Where was his master when he was needed the most?

* * *

Ryoga stood two meters away from Mousse as the self-proclaimed master of hidden weapons stood up straight.

Ryoga had overcome the demon that had possessed him in service to Xi'an, but Mousse was still under control of the demon that possessed him…

Mousse had his hands within his ceremonial coat and Ryoga wondered if Mousse was about to pull something out and try to attack him with it.

Instead, one of Mousse's hands reached out and adjusted his glasses on his face, perhaps in attempt at distraction, Ryoga thought.

But Ryoga would not be fooled. He pulled off three bandannas and started to swing them in his hand, ready to throw. With enough velocity, he could use his bandannas as boomerangs that"d slice threw the air like Shuriken (throwing ninja stars).

Mousse pulled out a large Sigh with a metal chain attached.

Ryoga knew this weapon well. It was used in ancient Japan as a long range weapon that depending on the size of the chain could reach three times the length of its user's arm. All Mousse had to do was throw it, and with skill, it could slice through bone.

Ryoga took three steps back. His bandannas were no match for that weapon, but if he could throw them in such a way as to weave through Mousse's defenses, then he'd disarm Mousse.

"You can't win," Mousse declared. "I have an unlimited array of weapons at my fingertips."

"Weapons are useless without the skill to wield them," Ryoga said back. "And you, demon, as no match for me!"

"I beg to differ," Mousse said.

"Then let's fight!"

* * *

Akane Tendo knew none of this was her sister Nabiki's fault. She just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time for Xi'an to get his hands on her and possess her with a demonic being from beyond the grave - kidnapped by Ryoga when he was under Xi'an influence.

But if there was one thing she knew, Akane knew her sister...and her weakness. Thus the demon's weakness. Because above all, no one can deny what's inherit to them. Or at least she hoped that's how it worked?

If she could trick Nabiki some how...

"Nabiki, let's make a bet," Akane said.

Nabiki's brow folded in suspicion. "A bet? What do you mean? On what?"

"Anything, your choice," Akane casually said.

"Why?"

"My sister loves to gamble," Akane began. "She'd bet on anything to make a Yen."

"And why would that interest me? I'm not your sister. I follow Master Xi'an, and I've been resurrected to bring you back to him."

What would Xi'an want with her, Akane wondered. Wasn't he after Ranma and his father? "That's too bad, my sister loves a good bet."

"I told you I'm not your sister. But, what kind of bet did you have in mind?"

That's it, Akane had hooked the demon. She knew Nabiki's consciousness was still in her body somewhere…perhaps coaxing the demon to wager?

"Like I said anything, your choice," Akane said. "But you must also wager something."

"Like what?"

"That depends on the bet. But the value of the bet must value what you wager to me. If I can win the bet, you must give me what we agree upon."

"And the bet can be anything?"

"Yes," Akane fully agreed. "First, let's make the stakes."

"Very well." Nabiki looked around as if summing up what she would want Akane to do and then equaling the stakes to a win/lose scenario. Nabiki smiled and turned back. "If you can't follow through on the bet, you'll come with me to Master Xi'an freely and without struggle."

Akane nodded. "And if I win, you leave my sister's body never to return. Understand?"

Nabiki's pursed her lips and her eyes narrowed thoughtfully, but after a few moments of thinking, she smiled confidently and said, "Agreed. So what is the bet?"

"Your choose," Akane said. "It can be anything from poker, martial artists, and kind of game."

Nabiki smiled. "Anything, and you have to do or you'll lose?" Akane nodded. "Alright. I want you to kiss Ranma on the lips for three seconds. A full, blown kiss. It has to be a passionate kiss. Like a lover's kiss. You two are engaged, so it should be easy."

Akane gasped, looked at Ranma. "But..."

"Surely you've kissed before?"

"Well, only once...at a school pageant, but it didn't turn out like I hoped. It was a play of Romeo and Juilet."

"What about the kiss at the end when the prince kisses his beloved?"

"I secretly slipped duct tape over Ranma's mouth during the scene."

"So you've never actually kissed Ranma before?" Nabiki smiled as Akane shook her head no. "Good, then this bet is already won. I know of your dislike of Ranma and your prearranged engagement. You should never have tried to trick me. If you can't kiss Ranma like I said, you are mine freely. Choose, Akane Tendo. Or face eternal damnation!"

No, this couldn't be happening! Akane thought. She thought tricking Nabiki into a bet would free her sister from the demon possessing her. She had a plan. But it had been turned against her.

Kiss Ranma or go back with Nabiki to Xi'an? Why was it so hard? The decision should be easy. Ranma was her fiancée and they were at the age where kissing was commonplace with couples. And even so, she found it odd that they hadn't kissed yet, even after so much time together.

Ranma was obnoxious, arrogant, overbearing and just plain insensitive most of the time, which made kissing him, even liking him - well, it made Akane sick to her stomach to even think about kissing him intimately.

She didn't want to be around him. Their parents made the engagement. And now, she'd have to do the one thing she dreaded.

But would it be so bad? Could she really kiss someone she disliked for three seconds passionately just to save her sister?

She didn't know what to do.

"You have three minutes or the bet's off," Nabiki said. "And use this…" Nabiki handed Akane a small cylinder tube.

"Wait! We didn't agree on a time limit. Why three minutes? And what's this? Lipstick?"

"I don't have all day," Nabiki said bluntly. "You agreed to the bet. You either kiss Ranma or forfeit. And yes, apply some that ruby lipstick to your lips and kiss Ranma."

Akane thought Nabiki giving her lipstick was odd, but she agreed, and applied the lipstick to her lips with the roll-up applicator and smoothed it, pursing her lips.

"Your time starts now," Nabiki said. "Three minutes, no more. Tick tock!"

* * *

To be continued…


	25. Chapter 24

RANMA ½ - THE ENEMY WITHIN - CHAPTER 24

* * *

"Kiss Ranma?" Ryoga muttered, over hearing Nabiki and Akane talking. He looked in the girls direction. "No..."

"Ha!" Mousse shouted. "I have you now!"

And with Ryoga's momentary distraction, Mousse attacked, threw the Sigh chain, and it wrapped it around him.

The chain tightened like a vice, squeezed Ryoga. The edges of its metal roughness rubbing harshly against the bare skin of his arms.

Ryoga grimaced. "You sly, little..." The chain completely bound him several times from chest to waist. He still held onto his bandannas, but without use of his arms, he couldn't throw them. He struggled, wiggled around, to free himself, but to no avail. "Damn!"

Mousse smirked. "For countless centuries women have been distractions for lonely hearts..." the man, the self-professed master of hidden weapons, started to say. "I know one such woman who drives me - this host - wild with every syllable of her voice. . ."

And Mousse looked at Shampoo.

Ryoga turned his head following Mousse's gaze. She was aiding her great grandmother, who was now starting to show signs of life after a hard defeat from Shampoo when possessed by a demon.

Ryoga turned to his enemy at the moment. "Mousse loves her, you know...the guy you're possessing is obsessed with that Amazon girl. She is pretty..."

"She's gorgeous!" Mousse said.

Ryoga nodded.

"Even now I find it hard to resist the urge to go to her. But I'm stronger. I own this body now."

"None of us own our bodies, we own rent them," Ryoga said philosophically. "Then they return back to the dust from where they came from."

"Very profound. When did you get so insightful?"

"I've been around. I travel a lot and I learn a lot. I may have..." He hated to admit it, "...a lousy sense of direction, but that's just the way I am. I've accepted it. I never stop learning and I never stop growing. And that's why..."

The chain around his body began to black and dissolve, then disintegrate, turning to dust as it fell around him. Ryoga brushed himself off.

Mousse stood in agape awe. He said, "H-how'd you do that?"

"I told you, I never stop learning. And through my journeys I've picked up some interesting tricks."

"But t-that's im-impossible! No one can do what you did!"

"Never underestimate the power of the mind and your own Chi," Ryoga said, once again sounding profound. "I found a way to turn my depressive Chi into something positive using my Lion Roar Shot technique. I can control it a lot better. It no longer controls me."

Mousse continued to stand mesmerized and shocked.

"And now...this ends!"

Ryoga reached and plucked Mousse's glasses off his face, and with one perfectly centered punch to his face, Mousse dropped down, unconscious.

The so-called master of hidden weapons dropped like a stone and landed with a thud. A mist whisked from his body and into the air, disapitating into nothingness.

The demon that was inside Mousse had left him.

They must leave the body when the host is rendered unconscious, Ryoga reasoned.

Except when forced out by a very powerful Chi, like mine, Ryoga thought.  
It was an arrogant thing to think, but it was true. And not every martial artist can achieve such power. This written in a book of philosophy he found discarded on Buddhist enlightenment.

But he would have to contemplate that later.

"Kiss Ranma?" he thought again, reminded of what he heard from Nabiki and Akane's conversion. He hadn't heard everything, but he had heard enough.

_No, Akane can't kiss Ranma!_ "I won't allow it! Under any circumstances! I won't it!" Ryoga vowed.

* * *

Copycat Ken stooped, crouched on a rooftop overlooking the battlefield, or what remained of it. The fighting was pretty much over. But it wasn't over yet. The original plan was still going exactly as Master Xi'an had foreseen.

Spiritual demonic warriors had to be sacrificed, he knew, but they were worth it for the grander plan. Besides, the demons the master had summoned from the depths of Hell were weak in mind, power, easier controlled, and manipulated. But all they had to be was a distraction...

And the minute Akane Tendo kissed Ranma, the Saotome bloodline would be no more. The lipstick Akane had applied to her lips was poisoned and it would take three minutes to filter through her system, but in the meantime, she'll kiss Ranma believing it will save her sister, and both Ranma and Akane would die.

Akane was the catalyst everything, Ken recalled, remembering Xi'an's explanation of his plan, just before sending Ryoga out to kidnap Ranma's friends. Everything was merely a ploy for this moment.

Genma Saotome was too old to have anymore children. And when Ranma dies, so will the last of the Saotome bloodline. Ranma's father would be dealt with fully soon enough.

There was but one antidote to the poison, Ken recalled, but only he and the Master knew it, and he'd never tell.

Everything was going perfectly.

* * *

No, he couldn't allow it. "No. . You can't!" Ryoga stepped forward and blocked Akane's path with his arms out-stretched, feeling an importance, the weight of stopping this outrage. The outrage of Akane having to kiss a jerk like Ranma! "You can't kiss him!"

Akane's eyes widened with surprise. "You heard that, Ryoga?"

"Yes; all I needed to hear," Ryoga said. "And I refused to let this happen!"

"But you don't understand, I need to. . ." Akane said.

"No, you don't; there has to be another way." Ryoga took Akane aside, faced Nabiki. Akane's sister was the last of the four demons to be cast out. "You will not force Akane to do this!" Ryoga demanded.

"We made a deal," Nabiki stated.

"How can you force your own sister to kiss. . ." Ryoga stopped, turned to Akane inquisitively and a little shocked, and said, "A deal? What sort of deal?" He gasped. "Not for your soul!" He grabbed Akane's shoulders in fretfulness. "Oh Akane, you didn't promise this demon your soul, did you?" Turning to Nabiki he said, "Take mine, let Akane go! I beg you!"

Nabiki blinked twice. "Are you dense?"

Ryoga's brow folded confused. "I've seen movies like this. A girl like Akane wishes for happiness and makes a deal with a devil to get all she wants, but her price is her soul. What did she offer you?"

"She didn't offer me anything. I told her to kiss her fiancée." Nabiki pointed at Ranma. "And she will kiss him!"

"No she will not!" Ryoga shouted. "You've already made you intentions when you plastered that marriage license to Ranma's chest. You won't force this innocent - Akane - to kiss such a wicked cad! Not on my watch!"

"Ryoga you didn't hear the whole conversion, did you?" Akane said, Ryoga still holding her shoulders.

"I heard enough! And besides, what purpose would it serve for you to kiss Ranma?" Ryoga asked her. "You're engaged, that's true. But the guy is a jerk! Ranma doesn't deserve to marry you...you deserve someone who cares for you, will weigh on you hand and foot, heed to your every beckon call and desire like..." He couldn't say it. He couldn't say she deserved him instead of Ranma.

_I love you, Akane Tendo! _he thought in his mind. _If you're being forced to kiss anyone, then let it be me!  
_  
But his thoughts were all he could muster.

And then was struck across the side of the head with a bonbari. Ryoga rubbed his head. "Ow! What was that for?" he said, learning Ranma had taken one of Shampoo's dropped bonbari and thrown it at him.

"Get your hands off her! I'll kiss her. She my fiancée, after all!" Ranma eyed Nabiki. "I heard everything. If Akane has to kiss me for that long to save you, then it's worth the sacrifice."

But as soon as the word "sacrifice" came out of his mouth, he realized his error - a poor choice of word. He knew that Akane would pick up on it. And she did.

"Sacrifice?" Akane said annoyed, the sides of her mouth curled in a sneer. "Would kissing me be that disgusting?"

"No, I didn't mean it that way Akane and you know it!"

"Then what did you mean by it! Huh?" Akane said angrily.

"You always jump to the wrong conclusion about me!" Ranma felt a sharp twinge of pain from his stomach, but he ignored it. His mind swirled with the explosion of anger he started to feel whenever Akane initiated an argument. She was so hot-tempered. He really didn't know where she got it from. Her father was calm, though he cried a lot. Kasumi was very subdued in her emotions, and Nabiki was also calm. But Akane always had an explosive temper. "But I want to do this! Kiss me Akane! Now!"

"Not with that attitude! And not if you demand it!"

"Oh c'mon! What attitude? And I'm only trying to help!"

"Um guys, should you two be fighting? We have a demon to cast out," Ryoga said causally.

"Shut-up!" Ranma and Akane said in unison.

Ryoga continued regardless. "Your sister Akane, remember? I didn't know." Ryoga scratched a finger to his temple. "If it's for a good cause, I guess it's alright."

"I don't need your permission to kiss any body, Ryoga! You're right, though, Ranma's such a jerk! But if I _have_ to kiss someone. . ."

Akane reached over to Ryoga, grabbed the sides of his hand with both hands and kissed him on the lips for three seconds.

There was a gasp from everyone. And when Akane pulled back, Ryoga collapsed with ecstasy to the ground.

"No!" Nabiki said. "You were supposed to kiss Ranma, not that fool!"

Akane clenched her teeth in anger. She grabbed Nabiki and raised a fist. "Leave my sister now, or so help you..."

Nabiki's eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry, my lord. . .I failed you!" she said to no one in particular. The demon whisked out of Nabiki's body in a swirl of smoke, and Akane caught Nabiki as her sister collapsed from the stress of it all.

Ranma said, "It's over! We won!"

"Not quite!" a familiar voice said. Copycat Ken looked down from a near-by roof, one leg perched on the arch crossway. "While you may have defeated those rather disappointed demon rejects! You still have me to deal with."

Ryoga started to regain consciousness.

"That poison you ingested by applying that lipstick, Akane, is filtering through your system as we speak. You'll be dead in minutes. And so will that fool because you kissed him instead of Ranma."

Ryoga pressed two fingers to his lips. Akane had kissed him, just like in his fantasies. But it was for the wrong reason - in anger and for revenge. He said, "Poison?" stunned.

"No!" Ranma said, his face contorted in aghast horror at the revelation.

"But it doesn't matter," Copycat Ken went on. "With Akane and Ryoga out of the way and with you with that severe injury, it'll be easy to kill you without interference. You're too weak to fight back at full strength. There won't be anything to stop my master from having his revenge now! A dishonor will finally be washed away and his family set free from an eternal unrest at Jusenkyo with your death for what your ancestors did his a century ago!"

* * *

To be continued.


	26. Chapter 25

RANMA ½ - THE ENEMY WITHIN - CHAPTER 25

* * *

"Where the antidote?" Ranma demanded.

"There is none," Copycat Ken said smug, but lying. "You're beloved fiancée and your eternal rival are going to die, and there's nothing you can do to save them!"

"How long?" Ryoga spoke up.

"I'd say just under three minutes, give or take the potency of the poison and how much Akane Tendo applied with the lipstick."

Akane Tendo looked at the lipstick applicator and threw it in anger at Copycat Ken. Ken easily avoided it. "How could you?" he shouted. And then she started to cry. "I don't want to die!"

Ryoga sighed deeply. "Dry those tears, Akane. You shouldn't cry…" he said calmly, softly, smiling sweetly. Then said to Copycat Ken, "Then I suppose I have only that long to kick your ass!"

"Huh?" Copycat Ken voiced.

"We can sit back and what for death or we can face it head on. I prefer the latter. Xi'an has foolishly done the unspeakable! And I will not stand for it!" He loved at Akane. And for the first time he said without being nervous he said, "I love Akane, wholeheartedly.. I've always loved her, ever since I first saw her. And if we are to die, I don't want to have any regrets without saying such!"

Akane started to say something, but remained speechless.

Ranma merely shook his head. He knew Ryoga loved Akane. And normally he would protest to his eternal rival professing his love to Akane, but in this case he let it pass.

"Now! For you!" Ryoga faced Copycat Ken.

Copycat Ken narrowed his eyes and curled his lips in a sneer. "You stupid-headed fool! You should cherish your last minutes alive instead of picking a fight with me!"

"I'm a martial artist," Ryoga said proudly. "We don't pick fights, we end them!" And he suddenly smirked.

"Why are you smiling?" Copycat Ken said.

"There's something you should know before we get started," Ryoga said.

"Yeah? And what's that? And I remind you, every second you waste, is another second closer to your death!"

"Shut up! In my travels, along my journeys, I once met a wandering monk who taught me a little bit about poisons and how to negate their effects. And with a little help from my depressive energy I use for my Lion Roar Shot, I've suppressed the effects of the poison you so hopefully thought would kill me. But Akane will be fine. My depressive energy sucked the poison out of her system and gave it to me using my Lion Roar Shot, with the addition of one other factor…"

Akane gasped, and Ranma looked at him shocked.

"That's right," he nodded to the both of them. "I'm the only one who's poisoned. My Chi detected the poison immediately. Strange how it sounds. The monk instructed me in how to use the Lion Roar Shot on another level and told me why I can use it so effectively, channeling my anger, my bitterness, my sorrow into a weapon. Negative emotions are more powerful than positive ones. So it sucked the poison out, in a matter of speaking, using depressive energy. And I while I might die, Akane will live on. But there is an antidote and I know you have it. I can see it in your deceptive eyes!"

Copycat Ken smirked. "Well, you sly little…" Ken snorted annoyance. "Yes Ryoga, you're right. There is an antidote. And I know where it is. But you won't be able to synthesize the enzyme in time to save yourself. The antidote comes from a flower than grows at the base of Mount Fuji."

"The Blossom Yeti, correct?" Ryoga said.

Copycat Ken's eyes widened sharply. Then dropped with disdain. "How the hell did you know that?"

"I'm not as dense as some people might think I am." Ranma gave a brief glance to Ranma, then turned back. "I may have my quirks, and I may have a lousy sense of direction, and yes, I do become love struck on occasion which clouds my thinking - " He looked at Akane with a smile " - but because I travel a lot, I better myself, usually in a hopeless bit to defeat Ranma, I educate myself on my terrain: what's safe, what's edible, what's poisonous, and much more. And now that I know what kind of flower the antidote comes from, I can cure myself."

"But that flower is too far away from here to be of any help to you."

"You haven't been listening, have you? I said the poison might kill me, didn't I? On my latest journey, I met a medicine woman who told me traveling across China and Japan can be dangerous. So she gave me some medicinal dry herbs and told me to sprinkle them on my food at every meal. She said they help prevent and help fight off ailments, including poisons which I might contract along my journeys. She told me they came from the Blossom Yeti, a flower that grows at the base of Mount Fuji."

"No..." Copycat Ken said. "You're lying!"

"I never lie, especially when it comes to matters of life and death," Ryoga said strongly. "My body already has the enzyme cure. And when Akane kissed me, I gave it to her in our shared saliva. Saving her. Our lips touched directly, so she received a direct dose."

Copycat Ken cursed. "But you said you were going to die?"

"I can feel the poison ravishing through my body and it will kill me, eventually. But not in your time allotted. I need some more of the herbs to help fight off the poison, however." He turned to Akane. "Akane, there's a small clear bag in my backpack with some of the herbs. Can you get them for me?"

Akane nodded, her eyes elated hearing she wasn't going to die, and left.

"In the meantime…" Ryoga said, turning back to Ken, "I'll take care of you!"

Ken jumped down to the ground. His had his cloak in his hands. "You may have seen my chameleon tricks before, but since being with Master Xi'an, I've learn a few new ones…"

Ranma stood by Ryoga's side, readied himself in a fighting pose. "What are you…"

"Don't argue, I'm here to help," Ranma said, "Thanks Ryoga for saving Akane. If you can fight with that poison in your body, then I can handle my injury. I used some of the glue from this marriage license stuck to me to seal off the wound temporarily, the blood's stopped. It's amazing what you learn in school."

"Good," Ryoga said.

"I'll never call you stupid again," Ranma then said.

"Good," Ryoga said. "Now let's take this guy down. Tricks or no tricks, he can't defend against the both of us!"

"Right!" Ranma agreed. "Let's gettem!"

* * *

Xi'an sat in the lotus position, in a mediation session with his students in his dojo. The atmosphere felt ghostly and incense filtered through the air that each of his students were breathing in, their eyes closed, their breathing calm.

Xi'an started all his martial arts sessions this way.

Regardless of the events transpiring between his warriors and Ranma and his allies, he didn't disrupt his class schedules. Class had just started for today, and twenty of his students emulated Xi'an in the lotus position: their legs crossed in front of them and hands, palms out, sitting on their knees.

But Xi'an could see things were not going well for his generals. His mind's eye could see everything. The only member of his elite generals left was Copycat Ken. But he would not be a match for both Ranma and Ryoga even with his tricks. And Xi'an could not allow Ranma and his friends to defeat Copycat Ken.

The plan to poison Ranma and Akane Tendo had failed. He didn't anticipate she would kiss Ryoga instead and he would have a cure for it. It was something he had not foreseen in his visions when he set his plans into motion.

Xi'an has come from Jusenkyo and possessed the body of Oro Hiroshi, used him. He wanted revenge for what the Saotome Clan did to his ancestors a century ago. Things were not going according to plan, but much like the ancient Chinese game of Go, he always had an alternative strategy. And he had implemented it beforehand just in case. Now was the time to use it.

Xi'an opened his eyes and spoke, "Students, this dojo is in grave danger. Defend it. I want you to kill Ranma Saotome and Ryoga Hibiki. And bring me their broken bodies to me!"

Each student looked at him, each with red eyes, each possessed. Over the past couple of weeks, he had secretly delved into each young boy and girl's mind and implanted them with a demonic influence through the mystical incense that filtered through the room during each mediation session before lessons. This is how he called upon his generals from the demonic world in the first place, why he kidnapped Ranma's friends, and it was how he possessed the weak minds of his students with the beginnings of his dark army.

In unison, each student said, "Yes, Master Xi'an! We hear and obey!"

They stood, bowed, and exited the dojo.

And Xi'an smiled.

"Soon, very soon my family...you will be free!"

* * *

To be continued…


	27. Chapter 26

RANMA ½ - THE ENEMY WITHIN, CHAPTER 26

* * *

Kenneth Bradley Lionhart begged his father on his knees. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he pulled at the pant legs of his father on the threshold of his family's large home.

He was the youngest boy of four brothers, seven years old.

He had done something despicable according to his father. The Lionhart's were a wealthy, prominent family in Japan. What Kenneth had done was now gossip all over the city; it was embarrassing and dishonorable to the family.

"Please father, don't do this! I made a mistake! Please, forgive me!" Kenneth cried.

"You dishonored this family with your unspeakable act! And soiled my name! You are not my son! You're a rotten thief! Lionhart's don't do what you did! Get out of here!" His father was a gruff, tall and staunch man. And the look in Kenneth's father's eyes pierced Kenneth's soul with daggers of pure abhorrence.

Standing at the door, his father pointed outwards.

"Send me to my room without supper, ground me for a month, take away my favorite toys - anything else but this! I can make amends. Please father!"

"Go!" His father's voice was powerful and knocked Kenneth back over and off his knees, off the threshold and onto his rear.

"But where will I go?"

The door slammed in Kenneth's face without an answer.

Kenneth cried. He pounded on the door begging for forgiveness.

His father had just banished him, disowned and disavowed him from the Lionhart family. If Kenneth's mother was still alive, she would never allow this. But ever since she died a few weeks prior, Kenneth had seen a change in his father and an unrelenting cruelness, mostly directed at Kenneth because he had been his mother's favorite.

All Kenneth did was a child's folly, but rumor of it spread, especially after the local police caught him afterwards and the media caught hold of it and plastered it all over the newspaper and other media outlets. For any other family, what happened would mean nothing. But for the Lionhart family, it was a total and utter embarrassment.

Kenneth had stolen a piece of candy from a merchant at a local market bizarre when the family was passing through on their way to a business affair. Kenneth had been hungry. It had been a child's hunger for sweets. A reporter at the bizarre witnessed the thievery and wrote an news article. Soon all the Japan was abuzz with a Lionhart scandal.

Kenneth's father was a proud man and he had had to make an example. All Kenneth wore was a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. And he heard his father yelling at his brothers through the door: "And if any of you help that little thief in anyway, you're out too!"

Kenneth cried for days, begging for food and money on the streets. Without his father, no one recognized him and treated him like a vagabond.

That was until he was rescued by a kind man in a traveling carnival troupe who took pity on him, gave him a meal and offered him a place to stay.

Over the years, here Kenneth grew strong and healthy and did magic tricks for children to earn his keep. His adopted father, a gentle man, loved him more than Kenneth's father had ever did. When word broke on what Kenneth's father had done, the news media outlets chided and ousted him. Newspaper headlines read: "Lionhart Hartless For Casting Out Son!" "Stocks Plummet For Hartless Business!" "Missing Youngest Son of Lionhart Family Still Not Found!"

Kenneth never revealed to his adopted carnival troupe who he really was. And he vowed that he would never use his full name again. Never again would he be known as Kenneth Bradley Lionhart.

For now on, he would be known simply as Ken, the Copycat Magician.

* * *

Copycat Ken took his time as he straightened from a crouch.

He had jumped off the roof of the house he had been perched on, watching as the battles raged on between Ranma and his friends. Each had been possessed by Xi'an's demons, but each failed the Master miserably.

He leered with contempt and disdain at the two martial artists who stood before him, and they in kind returned that same contempt and disdain.

But a sinister grin suddenly broadened Ken's face, because he knew he had a huge advantage over the two if they attacked him.

Ken had his chameleon cloak with him, and he could transform into anything or anyone he chose, using their martial arts skills against them. It was his greatest trick, his greatest ploy, and his greatest weapon to defeat his opponents.

When he was a kid, he had developed his magician-like talents in a with his carnival troupe, doing magic shows.

He enjoyed entertaining people and seeing the joy and happiness on their faces, people were amazed at his talents and illusions. He had been known as Ken, the Copycat Magician. He could change into anything. He had a niche for trickery, and even his troupe were amazed.

But after a number of years, he became bored and he realized he got a better thrill in tricking people, even stealing from them, using shock-tactics, and transforming himself into his very own victim, and using their own best defenses against them.

And in a way it was good medicine for the loser. It showed them their vulnerabilities and fallacies.

After researching his opponent thoroughly beforehand, he would engage him/her in a game of chance, in a matter of speaking. Faced with themselves, could they overcome themselves to defeat Ken? A mirror image of themselves?

With this in mind, he left the carnival troupe and branched out on his own, in a life of crime. He would transform into his opponent, often hitting martial arts dojos to beat tougher opponents, taunting them by utilizing his victim's best techniques and skills against them and adding them to his own repertoire. And building his confidence. Although, all he needed was his illusions, he had quite an extensive working knowledge of martial arts.

It was all an illusion, a trick of the eye - but it was a trick only a master magician could do - using his illusions against some of the strongest martial artists he could find.

And as he traveled the countryside, his escapades and notoriety grew, until everyone who heard the name "Copycat Ken" - a name given to him by his victims - became scared at the very mention of it.

Fear added to the illusion to trick his opponents and it helped defeat them even before they faced him. They wondered what he'd do to them, so they were unprepared. And an unprepared opponent was a loser.

But one person beat him, and this made him furious - Ranma Saotome. No one had ever beaten him before.

"I'll use my greatest trick yet!" he had said, transforming into all the opponents he had recently faced to get their best skills into one. But something went wrong, and he started to get confused. And his illusion was used against him. He tricked himself. In that sense, he made himself lose. And he vowed not to let that happen again.

Ranma Saotome and Ryoga Hibiki had already seen his transformation trick. Yet, they didn't know how it was done.

But Ken knew all of Ranma and Ryoga's techniques, including the _Chestnuts Roasting Over A Fire_ technique, for which Ranma learned from Cologne, Shampoo's great-grandmother, and Ryoga's _Lion Roar Shot_, which was a very powerful technique, using a person's Chi to generate enough inner power to strike at his opponent with psonic energy. Ranma had an inferior version of it, and thus it didn't concern Ken.

So it was time to put that knowledge to the test. The method to use each technique was simple, but generating enough Chi to use them was another story. So, a trick was needed to overcome that. And he had it.

The demon inside him had it! It had all the power he would need to defeat these two.

Ken recalled the day he was defeated by Ranma. He had ran away, training for weeks, and harbored a deep resentment for Ranma. Each trick a magician did took deep concentration, that a master magician could focus in a heartbeat to do. But to have that trick used against the magician was the ultimate disgrace.

But with Master Xi'an, he learned to focus. Now he had the determination, skill and power he'd need to defeat Ranma for that utter embarrassment.

It was the time to get his revenge! It was time to wipe out that disgrace! It was time to reestablish the fear that was evoked whenever anyone thought of Copycat Ken!

"Time for real fun to begin, Saotome!" Ken said. "I won't hold back!"

"Bring it on, Copycat Ken!" Ranma said. "Anything you can dish out, we can overcome! We've beaten your tricks before! "

"Ah yes, but like I said, I've learned some knew ones and refreshed my mind on the simple ones."

And before Ranma could fully react, Copycat Ken send a power gust of negative energy telepathically through the air, and threw Ranma - more like pushed him - into the Tendo pond.

Ranma made a huge splash that halfed the water in the pond, throwing water everywhere. Soaking Shampoo and Mousse, activating their curses.

But Ryoga was quicker than the rest, and managed to jump out of the way from the on-coming water. He back-flipped onto the porch as it washed underneath the foundation.

Ranma emerged, his cursed activated, turning him into a buxom-large breasted, same-aged girl with red hair. "Hey!" he cried out. "That was a low-down dirty trick!"

"Tricks are my specialty, Saotome!" Copycat Ken said. "But that was nothing! Watch this!"

Copycat moved his arms fluently through the air making hand gestures as he did so, and used his Chi to transform the rest of the water in the pond into a spiral water serpent, and sent it towards Ryoga. "Once I get you out of the way, Hibiki, none of you will be a match for the master! All your curses will be activated! You're be at his mercy!"

The water serpent spiraled towards Ryoga, with what looked like four razor sharp teeth ejecting from its inner mouth, but with a fast forward blast of his Lion Roar Shot, Ryoga destroyed it forthright, and the water serpent sizzled into nothing.

"Anything else?"

"How'd you do that?" Ken said.

"I could ask you the same question, Copycat Ken," he said. "Is that demon inside your calling all the shots now, using its spirituality to generate this power of yours? You're just a puppet to it!"

Copycat Ken growled angrily. "Why you cocky, son-of-a-bitch!"

"It's not cockiness, it's confidence, and your tricks are nothing I haven't seen before," Ryoga said. "I should let you read my journals some time, after all this demon stuff is dealt with. You'll be amazed what I've experienced lately."

Suddenly Ryoga clutched his stomach and folded over, and put a hand to his mouth as he felt bile reaching to the surface. He felt sick.

Was the poison starting to take affect sooner than he had thought? Where was Akane with those herbs?

"Feeling sick, eh?" Ken said, putting hands on his hips. "Looks like you over-estimated those herbs you said you were taking. I wonder even if you cured Akane - "

He looked up and saw Akane come running out of the Tendo house with a clear bag of herbs. She looked perfectly fine, no sign of sickness.

Indeed Ryoga had cured her when they kissed.

But Ken couldn't let her give those herbs to Ryoga. He had to stop her, at all costs!

* * *

To be continued.


	28. Chapter 27

RANMA ½ - THE ENEMY WITHIN, CHAPTER 27

* * *

Uyko ran to Ranma's side and helped him out of the now empty pond to his feet.

Uyko had run inside for some warm water when she saw Ranma change, his curse activated by Ken's trick, and now poured the water over Ranma. Ranma reverted back to his male self.

"Thanks Uyko," he said. "Now if I can only get rid of this marriage license plastered to my chest, I'll be able to move more quickly!"

"I might be able to help with that," Uyko said. "I've been working on a new non-stick solvent for cooking pans. Perhaps it might work for this."

"It's worth a try," Ranma said. "How long will it take you to mix up a batch?"

Uyko shook her head. "I don't know. I've been experimenting as I go along. Some tests have been successful, some haven't. But I'm not sure if it'll work to remove glue from skin."

"Well, better than nothin'! Go make some, and ask Kasumi to help. She's a wizz in the kitchen like you are. I need this thing off me to fight properly. With every move I make, it pulls at my skin making it difficult and very painful!"

"Okay," Uyko said. "Just hang on."

"I don't have a choice."

Ranma ran pass her and made his way to Ryoga, to join him to fight Copycat Ken. And Uyko ran into the house and explained everything to Kasumi what she needed done.

* * *

Ryoga vomited as Ranma came to his side. Ranma bent down, his skin pulled from the glue with the movement, but tried to ignore it. "Ryoga, hang on, pal!"

Ranma finally discarded his shirt and placed himself between Ken and Ryoga, and immediately got into a defensive posture.

"You aint gettin' past me, buddy!" he said scornfully. "I'll destroy you!" He took a deep breath and despite the pain he knew it would cause, decided to use his beat move. "Chestnuts Roasting Over An Open Fire!" he shouted, and fire off a quick succession of lightning strikes at Ken, using both his arms like missiles.

But Ken was much quicker than Ranma figured, and even without transforming, using his chameleon trickery and cloak, Ken defended using the same technique, then suddenly performed a leg sweep than knocked Ranma off balance and onto his back. With the CNROAOF technique, all the power came from the arms, so the easiest defense and weakness was to take it away by hitting the most vulnerable spot - the legs.

Ranma grimaced as he fell back hard and eyes widened with shock. Ken had been so fast in the leg sweep. He was able to duck avoid his CNROAOF strikes, and duck down and expose a major weakness. It was a weakness Ranma only recently discovered himself. Something Cologne, Shampoo's great-grandmother failed to tell him about. But he would never have thought Ken would know it.

Ranma cursed himself. He should have known better. Ken always scouted his opponents first before engaging in them. Or, perhaps Xi'an told him about it. Regardless, one of his best - if not thee best fighting technique he had - was rendered moot.

Ranma got back to his feet. "So you can counter this technique, big deal." He shrugged his shoulders faking indifference. "I have a lot more, even my own Lion Roar Shot."

"But less effective, I would imagine," Ken retorted. "I can't believe Akane Tendo isn't Ryoga's fiancée instead, since Ryoga is more powerful than you."

"Ryoga isn't stronger than I am!" Ranma said defensively. "It's been proven on numerous occasions!"

"And yet he can still beat you with _his_LRS."

"He's...beaten me...sometimes. But never in a formal match!"

"Does that really matter? A defeat is a defeat. And martial artist's take any kind of defeat seriously. It damages their pride. Ryoga is stronger than you. Admit it, Ranma Saotome! If he didn't cast the demon out of him, it'd be him versus you right now - and you wouldn't have a hope in hell against him!"

Ranma snarled angrily. But he had no response to it. Right now, yes... Ranma admitted, Ryoga would beat the crap out of him with his stomach wound. But it wasn't Ryoga versus Ranma, it was Ranma versus Ken, and Ranma knew he could take the magician!

But that's all it took to distract Ranma, a sudden inner mindfulness to build his confidence, and with a swift roundhouse kick to the jaw, Ken laid Ranma out flat on the ground, stomach down.

The pain showed deeply on Ranma's face as he gritted his teeth, his fingers digging deep into the dirt. Landing on his stomach delivered a devastating reverberation of pain throughout his body.

"Sometimes it's the simple things that work the best, like good old fashion kicks," Ken said. "I told you I've a few new tricks and kept up-to-date with the old ones."

* * *

"Are you finished?" Ryoga said, his arms folded over his chest.

Ken looked up, and was shocked to see Ryoga on his feet and in perfect health. Distracted by Ranma, he had neglected Akane Tendo momentarily, which gave Akane time to give Ryoga Hibiki the medicinal herbs. And they apparently worked quickly.

Ryoga had swallowed the entire bag, and like some magic foodstuff, he seemed instantly energized, the poison gone.

Standing up straight, he pulled off his shirt to reveal a lean, muscular body. He threw it to the ground and began to stretch. "Without hindrance, I have more flexibility." He didn't mind Akane seeing him shirtless, and it also showed her his masculinity. "Now, shall we try it again, Copycat Ken?"

Just then, about twenty teenage boys and girls in white martial arts gi burst onto the battlefield. Their eyes pupil less and shaded red, each possessed under Xi'an influence.

Copycat Ken smiled smug. But he was almost annoyed that the Master didn't have more faith in him, having to send reinforcements. But he accepted them.

"Attack Ryoga Hibiki! Kill him now!" Ken ordered, and the students obeyed.

They charged towards him, shouting cries of belligerence and violence...

But Ryoga didn't move, but merely closed his eyes, and said, "I'm sorry...forgive me."

The ground began to shake, and suddenly the sky filled with a depressive ball of Ki, as Ryoga called forth the Lion Roar Shot - its most devastating aspect - and Ryoga brought it down upon the students.

Cried of panic and pain followed, and each student crashed hard to the ground as they felt the massive depressive force of the LRS. However, Ryoga didn't feel a thing, as the energy went straight through him, as he was emptied of all emotion and Ki. Their anguish cries were heard.

And Ken gasped with shock and awe, inches from crater that now formed around Ryoga with him at its core, and the students filling the inner circle, either moaning or unconscious.

When Ryoga opened his eyes, returning to his conscious state, he saw the LRS's devastation, the crater, and each of the twenty students either laying defeated.

"I'm sorry..." Ryoga said again, "but you gave me no choice." He looked up at Ken. "They'll be fine. But they can not be used as your pawns anymore! Your master is a coward sending out his students to fight a battle for him, or he has no confidence in you."

Ken growled. "I can beat you!"

Ryoga ran up the side of the crater, flipped into the air, and landed in front of Ken.

Smiling, he said, "I accept your challenge!"

* * *

To be continued.


	29. Chapter 28

RANMA ½ - THE ENEMY WITHIN, CHAPTER 28

* * *

"You underestimate me, Ryoga Hibiki!" Ken declared. "I and this demon are one! And his power is my power!"

"Is this really what you want? To be someone's puppet?"

"I'm no one's puppet! I chose this bond, this enlightenment, and after I destroy you and fulfill the Master's wishes, there's one other person I will take my revenge on! The very person that made me the person I am today!"

"Kaio Ashward Lionhart," Ryoga said pointedly.

Ken blinked, shocked. "How do you know my father's name?"

"As I said, I travel a lot. And I heard what happened - one day when I visited an eatery in Japan. How your father threw you out for stealing a piece of candy when you were a kid. I can't believe how devastating that was for you. But regardless of what he did to you - "

"Shut-up! You don't know anything! My father abandoned me! He was a cruel bastard, and if it takes my whole life, I'll get my revenge!"

"Revenge is never the answer."

"Sometimes it's all a person has to live for. I struggled to get where I am; I had to make a living as a magician in a carnival, until I learned I could make a lot more money stealing from people using my chameleon illusions; but I still struggle everyday - "

"By stealing, as the notorious Copycat Ken," Ryoga said. "I struggle too. We all have inner demons, so to speak. But we strive on, battle through them, move on..." Ryoga gave a brief glance back at Akane. "Some, we never accomplish," he said softly. He looked back at Ken. "There's an old Buddhist proverb: 'Living is hard, death is easy'."

"And what does that mean?"

"It means - fight! Fight that demon inside you! Cast it out!"

Ken narrowed his eyes, and looked like he was about to lunge forward in an attack - but then put a hand to his head and recoiled in pain. "_Stop it! Stop fighting me! You're mine! Now and forever!_" a voice, much like Ken's, but with an deep demonic echo, said.

And just as quickly as the pain came, it stopped - and Ken smiled sinister at Ryoga. He shook his head. But it was the demon inside that spoke, "Not this time, Hibiki. All your philosophizing won't bring this one back!"

"Am I now talking with the demon?" Ryoga asked. "What is your name?"

Ken nodded. "I was once Emperor Xi'an's field general Yuen. I am much stronger than the others who possessed your friends. I won't be so persuaded like the others. Ken's mind is too weak to withstand my influence. He's tried before to cast me out, but my will is absolute!"

"What will it take?" Ryoga said. "Obviously we're at a standstill. What will fighting each other accomplish? Devastation and destruction, even death will follow...I can use my Lion Roar Shot and wipe Nerima off the map. I have that power. But what will it accomplish? Just to kill you?"

"I'm not giving him back, plain and simple. Try what you want. Do what you want. It'll prove nothing. Nothing you do will make me relinquish this body!"

"This will..." a harsh, gruff voice said.

Pini-size martial artist Happosai suddenly appeared from around the corner of the Tendo residence, stepping over what was left of the dojo. And with him, was a tall, thin, grey-haired man with a mustache.

The man's face looked weathered, beaten, as if he had been sad for a very long time.

"Father?" Ken said, his voice siphoning through the demon's. He was more shocked than angry. "What are you...doing here? How did you find me?"

Kao Ashward Lionhart smiled. "Happosai told me where you were. I've been looking for you for a very long time."

Ken looked at Happosai, a scowl on his face. "How dare bring this man here, you little..."

"Hey, respect your elders!" Happosai said. "This is your father!"

"He's not my father! My father banished me from the Lionhart family long ago for a stupid child mistake. My real father runs a traveling carnival troupe in China and Japan. If anything, this man is the true embodiment of a demon!"

"But son...you don't know how long I've been looking for you, how I regretted my decision...I asked your brothers to go out and scour all of Japan to bring you back."

"I know," Ken said. "I saw them in the streets when I was begging for food. But I hid from them. I vowed never to go back, never to again to subject myself to your cruelty! I gave up my name when I was a member of the traveling carnival troupe. I never revealed who I was. . .I didn't want to! I did not want to be your son!"

"I'm so sorry, Kenneth. Your mother had just died and I was feeling - "

"So you took your anger out on me? You don't know how much what you did hurt me!"

"And if it takes the rest of my life to repent, I will. I just want you to come home, son."

Ryoga observed Ken's jaw clench tight and the muscles in his face twitch with unsheathing anger.

And it was his chance. He would attack Ken while he was distracted and avoid any unnecessary bloodshed.

But the moment Ryoga moved, he was suddenly caught in some sort of invisible grip when Ken looked at him - with Ken out stretching his left arm and hand - and he gasped for air. A telekinesis force was choking him, and it raised him off his feet, his throat feeling like it was being crushed.

Ryoga reached for his throat, but there was nothing he could do to stop Ken from killing him. Indeed, Ken was much stronger than he was - he had been telling the truth, especially with the power of the demon inside him. He could be unstoppable!

* * *

Kaio Ashward Lionhart couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Stop this Kenneth! Stop it, right now!" he demanded.

Ken smirked back to his father, and said, "You're next, Father!"

His father's eyes widened. He looked down at the pint-size martial artist named Happosai. "What do we do? My son is going to kill that young boy. Where did he get that power? What has he gotten himself into?"

"He's obeying orders," Happosai explained. "From a Chinese warlord named Xi'an, whose spirit has taken over the body of a local martial artist in Nerima named Oro Hiroshi. He wants revenge on the last of the Saotome family for casting his family into the depths of limbo at Jusenyko, a series of cursed springs in China, and believes the only way to free them is to kill Ranma and his father, and whoever gets in his way."

"But why is my son involved in all of this? He's always been so kind-hearted."

"Perhaps that was before, Kaio," Happosai said. "Before you kicked him out of your house."

Kaio Ashward Lionhart sighed. "I'm such a bad father," he said. "All my sons have left home now. I scared them away."

"There's always hope that - "

"Why does my son want to hurt these boys?"

"Your son lost to Ranma and his friends, when Ken was tricked into revealing his best trick. It failed, and your son ran away in disgrace, bested by his own chameleon illusions. He then joined forces with Xi'an somewhere, to get the power he wanted to defeat them. Which it looks like he has."

"Chameleon illusions? You mean magic? He loved magic when he was a kid." Kaio snapped his fingers in revelation. "That's it, Happosai! I know how what to do! I know how to help that boy!"

* * *

"You've annoyed my long enough, Ryoga Hibiki," Ken said, looking at him. "I'm going to crush your windpipe like an insect!"

* * *

Tbc.


	30. Chapter 29

RANMA ½ - THE ENEMY WITHIN, CHAPTER 29

* * *

Ukyo worked vigorously to get the right mixture of compounds for the non-stick "cooking solution" to remove the glue of the marriage license stuck to Ranma's chest. She was mixing by memory. She was joined Kasumi in the Tendo home kitchen.

Kasumi suggested a few things, but it was ultimately Ukyo who decided the right ingredients. Or she hoped where the right ones.

"It'll have to be a soft mixture that we can apply by hand, rub it all over the glue so it can peal off," Uyko said.

"I'm unaware of such a compound that can dissolve glue that quickly other than industrial solvents and those would be harsh on Ranma's skin," Kasumi explained. "A brillo pad would be faster, but that would be even worse and time consuming. We may have to wait until the glue dissolves on its own."

"Ranma needs it off now!" Uyko said pointedly. She didn't mean her tone to be harsh, but it was important.

Kasumi seemed to understand, and nodded, and both continued on, mixing food compounds - the entire kitchen was in complete disarray. There were pots and pans, foodstuffs, utensils, and other stuff, everything!

"Oh my," Kasumi said, looking around, putting a hand to her face in shock. "I'll have my work a week to clean this kitchen to get back in order after all this is over."

"We'll worry about that later," Uyko said. But then thought: _If there is a later!_

* * *

Kaio Ashward Lionhart dug a hand into his left pants pocket and pulled out a deck of old, beaten, well used playing cards. There was only one card missing - the Ace of Spaces. He didn't know where it had gone, but these had been his son's favorite deck - his lucky deck.

Often Kenneth would play the magician's game "Choose a card", and ask someone to pick one, and then guess wish one it was. Ninety-nine percent of the time, Kenneth guessed right. It had been a trick, but Kiao only recently discovered how his son did it.

And in truth, it wasn't a trick all at, but "slight of hand". When the card was put back in the deck, it was secretly marked by a bend or fold or other means to tell the magician which card it was. Sometimes, just its position in the deck told the magician its location. But this deck was already very well used, but it would be difficult to mark the card to know which one Kenneth would choose and put back.

But this was how he would get his son back, this is how he would convince the demon that resided in Kenneth to leave him, that Happosai had explained to him about. Kaio Ashward Lionhart just hoped his son didn't see through his trickery before all was said and done.

Kaio had carried the cards with him all these years, to remember his son. Now that he had finally found him after ten years, he wasn't about to let him be taken from him by an evil ethereal spirit who was only using him.

"Kenneth, play a game with me," Kaio said.

Ken looked at his father strange. He saw a deck of cards in his father's hands. And he recognized them. "Where did you get those?"

Ken released his grip on Ryoga, focused on his father. And Ryoga dropped like a stone. Ryoga gasped for air to fill his lungs.

"They were yours," Kaio said. "I kept them. I didn't throw them away despite one card was missing."

Ken momentarily blinked thoughtfully. "Yes, I remember - the Ace of Spaces. I lost it for awhile..." He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out the bent, beaten, ripped, dog-earred playing card. "I found it in the back garden when I snunk back to the house after you threw me out a few days later for some food. But the maid was in the kitchen, so I couldn't get any."

"You came back?"

"Only because I was hungry."

"Why didn't you tell me? You would have been welcomed back - "

Ken scowled.

"I apologize. Poor choice of words. I love you son. You'll always have a home waiting when you want to come back."

"Never!" Ken swiped a hand through the air and a powerful gust of wind blew in his father's direction, nearly knocking Kaio down. Kaio had to shed his eyes from the wind. "You abandoned me, Father! At a time I was most vulnerable!"

"And I'm sorry," Kaio said. "I don't know what else to say."

"Your words are meaningless to me!" Ken shouted. "I've been living just fine without you all these years!"

"As what? A carney and a thief? That's not a life!"

"You didn't give me a choice!" Ken sneered.

Kaio nodded. "Then, if I am not to be in your life, I only want one thing..." He presented the cards to Ken. "Pick a card."

"What?"

"Pick a card," Kaio repeated.

Ken looked at his father suspiciously. "What is this? What trick is this?"

"No trick, son. I'll guess your card. If I can, you give me the Ace of Spades."

Ken looked at the card in his hand, half-crumpled. "Why do you want this? It's worthless."

"Not to me. This was your lucky deck, you cherished it, took it everywhere with you. When...you left...it was left behind, and I started to cherish it. It reminded me of you, how much I love you. But it's incomplete, much like I am without you. If you will not come back to me, then I would like that card to complete the deck."

Ken shook his head dumbfounded. "You were always strange, Father. One moment you were kind, then the next - and always to me - you were cruel."

"I've changed. Now, pick a card."

Ken eyed the cards with a narrow gaze, but choose a card regardless of what a simple card trick this was. Even a novice magician could master it. But it was best done with a new set of cards. This deck was beat up severely.

Ken looked at the card he and chosen.

"Now put it back in the deck," Kaio said. Ken did, and the cards were shuffled, like a master magician would. He even flung them across from hand to hand, and Ken watched with amazement.

"How did you - when did you learn to do that?" Ken asked.

"I've been practicing over the years," Kaio said. "I took an interest in magic not long after. . .our falling out."

Kaio then put the cards flat in the palm of one hand and put his other hand on top, cupping them like a sandwich, making them disappear for a moment.

Kaio closed his eyes as if summoning up some mental power that would tell him what card his son chose. But he didn't need to, it was only for show.

"Your card was...the Five of Spades."

Ken smiled. "Nice try, Father. But you're mistaken. That wasn't my card. It would seem you need more practice."

"I think you're the one who's mistaken. Look at your card in your hand."

Ken did and was flabbergasted. Instead of the Ace of Spades, it was the Five of Spades. He sharply looked at his father. "That's impossible! How did you - I watched you carefully!"

"A true magician never gives up his tricks, son. You know that. And look at this - " Kaio feathered the deck of cards and each one was an Ace of Spades.

Ken gasped with shock and he became utterly speechless. And in the deck was the very Ace of Spades Ken had been carrying around with him all these years. He recognized it because of the fold lines, and his father picked it out of the pack, showing it to him, as if reading his mind that that was what Ken was looking at.

"I made you pick the card you chose by pressing it forward. You know the psychology of people who play this game and the magician who tricks that person into thinking they're choosing a random card. The original card you choose was a Three of Diamonds, however..." Kaio made it appear with a slight of hand illusion, making it appear out of thin air from his shirt sleeve, showing it to his son. He then reached into his other pants pocket and brought out another deck of cards. "This is your real deck."

Ken smiled. "Nice trick, Father. Tell me how it was done."

"You taught me this trick, son, a few weeks before, well, we parted. It was all slight of hand and in the believability of your eyes. You did choose from your deck, and as I shuffled in a special way, I quickly exchanged decks. I've been practicing this trick for many years, that's why each deck is wore similar."

Ken gave back the Five of Spades and Kaio placed it back in the deck. "You beat me, Father. You're the second person who has, congratulations. I want to be the best, I want to be a master magician - "

"And you will be, and I would like to be a part of your life when you do."

Ken smiled softly, but was silent for a few heartbeats. "Okay, Father, maybe we can - "

Suddenly Ken folded over in pain and he grabbed his head. "No, stop it!" he cried. "I don't want to, I don't want to hurt anyone, anymore! I won't hurt him!"

"Kenneth, what's happening? Kenneth!"

Ken looked up at his father with tears in his eyes. "It wants me to hurt you, Father! But I'm trying to hold it back - "

"The demon inside him is trying to reassert control," Happosai said. "You touched your son by opening up to him. The demon didn't like it."

* * *

"Ranma! We think we have it!" Ukyo said, as she and Kasumi ran out of the house. Uyko carried a bucket of what looked like milky oatmeal paste.

"Then pour it on me!" Ranma said. He had recovered from Copycat's attack, but his wound continued to ache severely. "Get this stupid thing off me!"

"Akane! Nabiki! We'll need your help too!" Ukyo said, waving them over.

They came, and the four girls plunged their hands into the oatmeal stuff and splashed it on Ranma's chest.

"Wow, that's - " Akane started to say.

Almost immediately Ranma recoiled. Not from the four girls touching him, but from the oatmeal stuff's icy, skin numbing feeling.

"What the - wh-wh-what is th-is-is st-st-uff?" he said, teeth chattering. "It's fr-fr-ee-ee-zing!" His nipples felt like they had just gone to sleep like an arm or a leg left in one position for a long length of time. And his stomach muscles tensed at the freezing sensation.

"We had to use a substitute of something we didn't have in the fridge, so we used a freezing agent. Stand still." The girls continued to spread the stuff all over his chest where the glue was. "It'll freeze the adhesive agent, crystallize, and then we can peal off the marriage license paper without a problem."

Ranma's teeth chattered. "Well-ll, hur-rry up!"

"Don't be a baby!" Akane said.

"How lo-lo-long is this-this stuff suppose to-to take to wo-wo-ork?"

Once his entire chest was covered with the stuff, Uyko took the top of the paper, and ripped it off in one quick motion, like a bandage off a wound. Ranma screamed only out of shock, but it didn't actually hurt when it came off.

Ranma felt his chest and stomach and smiled. And started to brush off any crystalline resume left behind.

"I'm sorry, Ranma," Nabiki said guiltily.

"You were under the influence of Xi'an," Ranma said. "You couldn't help yourself." He felt his wound. It ached, but it seemed sealed with the glue inside. He would have to go to Dr. Tofu later and have it checked out. But he'd deal with that later.

Ranma looked across the courtyard to Copycat Ken. Ryoga was just starting to get to his feet after being choked by some invisible force. Ranma had seen it all. Ken had nearly killed Ryoga.

Now it looked like Copycat Ken appeared to be fighting an inner struggle with the demon that had possessed him. He was folded over in pain with his hands to his head. Just like Ukyo, it seemed Ken was fighting the demon's influence.

Copycat Ken's father had now joined the fray and Ranma had heard their entire conversation. And for a brief moment, Ranma thought of his Mother, who was far away...

He mentally shook the distraction away. He had to focus on the moment at hand. "Ryoga!" he called out.

Ryoga looked at him, and Ranma waved him over.

"He's too strong, Ranma," Ryoga admitted, feeling his throat, his voice a little raspy. The swelling and discolourization of a bruise was starting to show. "Even my Lion Roar Shot won't have an effect on such a powerful demon even at full force. I thought I could buff it. But it didn't fall for it."

"Ken's father almost got through to him, but it's not enough. We need to join forces to cast out that demon."

"How do you suggest we proceed?"

"Throw enough power at him that the demon leaves," Ranma said. "We combine our Ki's...and destroy it!"

* * *

To be continued.

C'mon people, review please!


	31. Chapter 30

RANMA ½ - THE ENEMY WITHIN, CHAPTER 30

* * *

Ryoga rubbed his throat, trying to coax away some of the soreness of Ken's non-physical attack. He would never have expected the demon to have that much power, and for now on he would have to be very careful around Ken. But what could he do against an invisible power that could kill him without any way to fight against it?

Ryoga cleared his throat. His voice was still a little raspy, but it had cleared up. "We can't destroy it, Ranma. Energy can only be displaced not destroyed - even spiritual, demonic energy," he explained. "We have to cast it out, just like all the others."

"Where'd you learn all this philosophy and science stuff? You aint goin' to school."

"Books. Free from libraries or what people throw away," Ryoga said. "I've started to train both my body and mind while on my journeys."

"Well, I don't care whatcha say, I'm fightin' it!"

"I didn't say I wouldn't help." Ryoga subconsciously rubbed his throat again. He couldn't get that sensation of being choked out of his mind and it made him a little apprehensive to launch an attack on Ken. "But we need a strategy. We can't just blast away with our Ki. That'll hurt Ken."

"He was all ready to kill you a minute ago."

"That was the demon inside, not Ken."

"Are you scared? Before, you'd be all charging in there like a dead man on a suicide mission, no matter what happened."

Ryoga didn't want to admit it, but he was scared. He looked at Ranma trying to look unafraid, but he felt he couldn't pull it off. And there was something else. "Something happened when I was on my last training journey, something terrible…I'll hafta tell ya about it sometime later. But I have an idea. You have a positive Ki and I have a negative one...we combine our Ki to increase our power. I envelope Ken in a spiritual barrier and you purify Ken's soul so the demon will leave."

"And how do I do that?"

"I'll grab him and surround him in an aura of dark, negative energy. This will confuse the demon temporarily. While its distracted, you purify Ken's spirit, and cast the demon out with your version of the LRS."

"Again, how?"

Ryoga sighed with annoyance. "Improvise, that's what a martial artist does! Maybe Ken was right, if we fought, I mean really fought, I'd win. Not like one of our silly challenges, but hardcore, no holds barred - "

"You calling our challenge's silly? I'm insulted! Look, I aint book smart like you, but I'd beat ya hands down in a fight, pal! No prob! That's been proven before! I always beat ya!"

Both looked at each other with an intense hateful stare and growled and snarled like two rabid dogs, until Akane pointed between them at Ken. "Look!"

Ranma and Ryoga broke away from their discord, and looked in the direction she pointed, and saw Ken's father face-to face with his son. But Copycat Ken had regained his composure and was eye-balling at the old man with "a-who-do-you-think-you-are" stare. The demon was once again in complete control.

"What does he think he's doing?" Ryoga said, wide-eye and shocked, seeing Kaio Ashward Lionhart standing up to the demon.

"The demon will kill'em!" Ranma said.

"You have to stop him, guys!" Akane said.

Both nodded, but how to do just that was obviously the question on both their minds.

But all of a sudden, Kaio Ashward Lionhart leaned in and hugged his son, and squeezed tight. "I love you son, and I'll never let you go until that demon is out of you!"

Ken looked at Kaio in utter shock, and then screamed, or rather the demon did, "What the hell - Let go! He's mine! You'll never have him!"

"Mr. Lionhart! He's dangerous!" Ranma shouted. "Let go of Ken! He'll kill you!"

"He's my son, he belongs to me! This demon can not have him!" Kaio replied back above the protest by Ken. Ken struggled against Kaio's vice-like grip and surprisingly was unable to brake it. "I love you Kenneth, and I won't this demon have you!" he said. "Not as long as their is still breath in my body will I let this thing exist in you!"

"Quick!" Ryoga said, running to the pair. "This is our chance!"

Ryoga ran over and grabbed Ken's shoulders, focused, and erected an aura of dark, negative energy around the magician's body using his recently discovered additional techniques of the Lion Roar Shot. An adaptation of what he used to brake Mousse's chains, but using the LRS in such a way in an attempt to trap and weaken the demon inside Ken. If he could focus enough Ki to suppress the demon's power, hopefully Ranma can force it out with his Ki. If the idiot would get here. "What are you waiting for!"

Ranma shook his head. "What do I do?"

And then it suddenly occurred to Ranma. Ryoga and he were polar opposites, (rivals), negative and positive, like magnetic north and south...

"Can it really be that simple?" he said.

"What are you babbling about?" Ryoga said.

Ranma smiled, and ran over and cupped his hands on Ken's father's shoulders, concentrating his Ki into Kaio. Kaio and Ken then became conductors for each of his and Ryoga's Ki's. Ryoga and Ranma were the current. If this worked, both N and S would repel the other and cast the demon out of Ken. Theoretically, of course.

Ranma closed his eyes and focused his Ki through Kaio and into Ken. Ken screamed, both in protest and in pain. It was a spiritual pain. A demonic echo filled his throat, as both Ki's flowed through Ken and his father's bodies.

"I think it's working," Ryoga said. "I can sense the demon weakening!"

"I feel it too," Ranma replied.

But the demon was not about to relent, and suddenly the demon's power jumped ten fold, as if it had some stored away for just such an occasion. It was not going to give up Ken without a fight. Ranma could feel the demon trying to repel him and Ryoga away with a force he had never felt before. And a gigantic whirlwind began to swirl around them, a spiritual essence of raw power that tried to rip them both away.

But they held tight, digging their heels into the ground for support.

Kaio grunted by the pain of Ranma's squeeze, and Ranma could feel the old man's shoulders tense. But he did not dare loosen his hold.

Kaio hugged his son tighter. "Don't let go, boys...whatever you're doing, it's weakening the demon! I can feel it!"

"Father, help me," Ken finally cried out, his voice pleading.

"Fight it, son! Don't let that demon win!" his father said.

"I'm trying, Father..."

But Ranma could feel this was also taking a toll on Ken, which was weakening his resolve against the demon. And he didn't know which one would win this fight.

* * *

Xi'an sat cross-legged in the middle of Oro Hiroshi's dojo with his eyes closed, and he frowned. He could feel Yuen's hold on Ken weakening.

His students had failed, Ryoga had used his Lion Roar Shot on them. Xi'an found that unexpected as he never thought Ryoga would use such a powerful fighting technique on such weak fighters. But the LRS was more of a defense than an offensive technique, and Ryoga must have knew this.

Ryoga Hibiki had recently become very knowledgeable on the LRS and its hidden techniques. Xi'an was curious who had taught him to bring these hidden techniques out. The power Ryoga used to incapacitate Xi'an students was minimum but effective. It was enough to stop them, but not seriously hurt them.

"That boy…" he started to say. "He has a very old spirit. I knew I should have destroyed him when I had the chance. Ryoga Hibiki has an indomitable spirit. He must be destroyed, along with Ranma Saotome and his father!"

Xi'an opened his eyes sharply with sudden revelation.

_That's it! _

Xi'an knew he felt a familiar spirit inside that boy! Something about Ryoga Hibiki had nagged him all this time even when he used a demon to possess him. The power Ryoga possessed was about to cast out the demon inside him with conceivable ease. Xi'an had found this curious, but now he knew the reason why it had happened.

Xi'an couldn't quite put the pieces together until now.

Ryoga had a deeper connection to Ranma than even the boy knew, now that Xi'an started to recall the past. Time has a way of making people forget, even the spirit to forget. But after a century, he has returned…they were back together again!

Saotome was the Emperor of China's army's general, but it was Hibiki who actually damned Xi'an's army to the depths of Jusenkyo with his spiritual power as Saotome's mystic/sorcerer, trapping everyone in a negative barrier, casting them into the waters, letting them drown alive. It was then Saotome purified Jusenkyo, to an extent, that cursed his army for eternality. And Xi'an's family.

It was only after a century did Xi'an's angry and rage manage to build up enough spiritual energy to allow him to escape. He then called upon Yuen, his own army's general, and a few of his soldiers to battle against Ranma Saotome and his father, giving his soldiers god-like powers to kill Xi'an's enemies.

It all seemed simple. Kill two meaningless martial artists and free his family from an eternal limbo.

However, it appeared Saotome's mystic/sorcerer was still protecting his Master after all this time, even if he doesn't remember why.

Xi'an swore a rude Chinese curse.

Yuen's resolve weakened. His power was being suppressed by the power of Ranma and Ryoga's Ki. And the boy, Ken, was also fighting him. And like a marionette doll that's had too many strings cut to move fluently, all his influence over the boy was being snatched away. Ryoga and Ranma's energies that flowed through Ken and his father were purifying the boy. And there was nothing he could do to stop it.

* * *

The demonic spirit spewed out of Ken's mouth in a pillar of dark energy with great force, and then dissipated into the night sky until there was nothing left.

Ken cried, hugging his father. Despite all the years of separation and hurtful memories, Ken squeezed his father and sobbed into his shoulder. Fear urged him more than anything. He needed to feel safe right now.

"I missed you, Kenneth," his father said softly.

Ken sniffed. "I missed you too, Father. I'm sorry."

"No, it is I that should be sorry. I know forgiveness is never instantaneous, but I hope over time, we can start to forge that father and son relationship I foolish discarded."

"I'd like that," Ken said smiling, wiping tears from his eyes. "And you can also show me how you really did that card trick."

Kaio Ashward Loinhart laughed.

* * *

To be continued.


	32. Chapter 31

RANMA ½ - THE ENEMY WITHIN, CHAPTER 31

* * *

With the demon exorcised from Copycat Ken, the battlefield seemed to turn from a place of destruction to that of rebirth.

All the demons were gone. Xi'an's army had been banished. And Oro Hiroshi's students were waking from what they would remember as a freakish dream, as each one started to climb out from the bottom of crater created by Ryoga's Lion Roar Shot, defeating them while under demonic possession by Xi'an.

Ranma, Ryoga and the others, helped the students onto solid ground, and each of them wandered home. One would only imagine what each one would say what happened here to their parents. And after rumor spread, an investigation would surely follow. But that, each of the fighters thought, they'd worry about afterwards.

Ranma clapped Ryoga on the back. "We did it, pal!"

Ryoga gave a large grin. "We make a great team, you and I," he said.

"You still think you can take me in a one-on-one, no-holds-barred battle?"

Ryoga hesitated for a bit, but then smiled. "Sure. And someday, we will. But we're not finished yet. We still have Xi'an to deal with."

"Yeah, I know."

Both looked at Copycat Ken and his father standing near the Tendo home. Ken had a smile on his face, and for once, Ranma thought, it looked genuine. Not one of those smug, know-it-all smiles. And Ranma was glad even after all this with Ken, he and his father were finally able to patch things up between them.

And again Ranma thought of his Mother, wanting to give her a big hug right now.

He missed his mother. Due to his curse, he had to pretend he was someone else - Lonco - a distant relative of the Saotome family (his girl-self). Because of his curse, he had not spoken to his Mother as himself (boy-self) in years.

His Mother was a proud woman, and if she knew of his shame, that he transformed into a girl because of the Jusenyko curse, she would disown him. Or that's what he thought. At least that's what his Father said would happen. Or even worse, make each of them - Father and son - do Seppuku: "Death by sword".

Ranma cringed at the very thought. But one day, he vowed to break his curse and become full male again. All he needed was time and money to get back to Jusenyko, and find a way to rid the curse once and for all. If that _was_ possible!

Mousse came over to the pair, and said, "Where do you think Xi'an is? You'd think he'd want to finish us after we dispatched his army."

"He's probably biding his time," Ryoga said, as Uyko, Shampoo and Akane, also joined them. In a circle, they talked further. "We all have to work together now," Ryoga continued. "Xi'an won't be a push over like his army, and he'll be stronger than Yuen, that demon inside Ken. So we need a strategy."

"We can try what we did on Ken," Ranma suggested. "You surround Xi'an in a dark aura of negative energy and I purify him with our Ki's."

Ryoga mused for a short moment, shook his head, then said, "I don't think that'll work a second time. Xi'an seems to have a god-like power that gives him a Mind's Eye, a second sight, so he was probably watching our entire battle and repeat the same mistake as his subordinates. And I don't think he's eager to just jump in a fight us right now with all of us here, will all our skills and techniques."

Ranma wiped his brow of sweat. "Good thing too," he said. "I think I used too much Ki in that purification with Ken. I never thought it would take that much. Why aren't you tired?"

"I am, slightly. But I'm learned to hone my Ki more efficiently with training from a monk I spent a few weeks with on my last journey. He also showed me to hone my Lion Roar Shot into a more powerful weapon. So instead of just using it as a single powerful blast of Ki - a big ball of energy - he showed me how to commit Ki into creating dark barriers and hand blasts focusing my emotions to do so. He was a very good teacher and a wise man."

"Was?" Akane asked.

Ryoga frowned, and looked down shamefully at the ground. Then he looked up again sorrowfully. "He died; it was an accident. I lost control of my Ki during an exercise when I grew frustrated because I couldn't perfect the technique he was teaching me. From that day forward, I vowed to never let my emotions control my fighting again."

Ranma nodded. "So, that's it. Now I understand your hesitation before. I'm sorry, pal."

Ryoga smiled thinly. "It's my burden to bare. But perhaps it was a lesson I needed to learn. He did tell me I needed to control my emotions to better control the LRS, but I didn't mean to…"

Happosai suddenly appeared next to Ryoga and patted his leg in a gesture of forgiveness. "You're a good boy, Ryoga," he said in his scratchy sort of tone. "Don't let this taint your spirit. We all lose people we care about, it's a part of life," he said philosophically.

Akane suddenly hugged him, and Ryoga froze startled.

"Um," he said wordlessly.

"Akane! What the heck d'ya think ya doin'?" Ranma said shocked.

She broke the hug, turning to Ranma. "I wanted to make Ryoga feel better," she said.

"That's okay, Akane. Thank you." Ryoga loved Akane, but with the recent revelation of events with his monk mentor, he didn't get mad when Ranma gave him a scowl. And his emotions fell short of accepting Akane's affection. "Akane," he said, taking hold of her shoulders. "I love you, I just want you to know that, despite saying it before. It comes from the heart. But you and Ranma make a good couple, as hard as it is to say." He looked at each Ranma and Akane succinctly and smiled. "I would never deserve you, even if you did return my love for you. Perhaps it's merely a crush, I don't know. But until I…" he looked at Ranma, "do something else, it would be impossible for us."

Ranma rolled his eyes. "Oh please," he sighed. "Just accept the hug on face value, will ya! It doesn't mean nothin'. Akane's just feeling sorry for ya."

Akane scowled at Ranma and he returned it. But Mousse stepped between them before it escalated. "Look, you too," holding up his hands, "can't you two argue some other time?"

"Yes," Shampoo said. "Why not take Ryoga as husband and leave Ranma for Shampoo?"

Mousse protested. "Aw, Shampoo! You know how much that hurts me when you say that. I love you, I always have and always will. I've said it outright."

Shampoo snorted a protest. "Shampoo and Ranma engaged, sorry."

"Well, Ranma and I are also engaged," Ukyo chimed in, putting her arm around Ranma's arm in an affectionate couple gesture. "And I've known Ran-chan longer than anyone."

Ranma swallowed nervously when he saw the hateful stared in both Akane and Shampoo's eyes. This was not the time for this. He looked at Ryoga, and said, "Hey pal, take one of these chicks off my hand, will ya?"

"Normally I'd belt you for suggesting such a thing, Ranma, but I know you're only joking." But a hint of the old Ryoga seemed to gleam in his eyes as he eyed Ranma disdainfully. "At least I hope so. Don't insult Akane like this, I won't allow it!"

"Look pal - "

A thunderous laughter echoed. And a belligerence and benevolence and evil filled the sky turning it black, startling them all.

A cascade of blood red mist swirled in a circle to a centre point above them.

The energy everyone felt was awesome in its power. And Ranma's heart began to race in both anticipation and trepidation.

The time had finally come for the final battle.

Xi'an had arrived!

* * *

To be continued.


	33. Chapter 32

_**RANMA ½ - THE ENEMY WITHIN - CHAPTER 32**_

Xi'an's thunderous voice boomed across the sky like an omniscient god from the heavens. It came from all directions at once.

Ranma turned around, trying to pinpoint its source, but then halted knowing it would be moot. A ghostly shape began to emerge about thirty meters in front of him like some dark mass out of no where, and he glared at it, wondering what it was...

It was like some black hole in the middle of time and space. Everything within that space vanished with the ever expanding emergence of this mysterious phenomenon, something that was now beginning to resemble a human body.

And Ranma knew it had could only be Xi'an. His ghostly powers were awesome. They were so intense that Ranma wondered if he'd finally come face-to-face with an opponent he couldn't defeat. He had never felt such a strong aura.

Ryoga came to stand next to him, obviously feeling it too. He had an intensity on his face that indicated "do-or-die!"

But he knew Ryoga was scared. Ranma knew his friend would never show weakness so carelessly. Ryoga was not a person to admit defeat, going to such lengths as to border on the psychopathic - even suicidal to win. (When he battled Ryoga's perfected Shi Shi Hokodan was a perfect example.)

With just a mere look, they knew they'd have to work together to beat Xi'an. This pseudo-god had to be stopped at all costs. And if he wasn't defeated here, all would be lost.

The laughter intensified. A laughter so cold and sinister than it made Ranma's heart beat with trepidation, and sweat dripped down his face. It was the sort of laughter that a being with incredible power and total confidence had, knowing he was unbeatable.

Shampoo put her hands over her ears, she didn't like it. "Tis frightening noise," she said. "Make it stop!"

Ryoga grit his teeth. "An annoying laugh," he commented. "So evil."

"He thinks he can intimidate us," Ranma said unimpressed. He turned to the house. "Everyone inside, now! Xi'an wants only us!"

He also wanted Ranma's father, but Ranma'll would have to protect him. It was a difficult thing to admit that his own father was just too weak to stand up against Xi'an. But Genma Saotome didn't have the fighting abilities to face off against Xi'an's supernatural feats.

His father had taught him courage and wisdom, to believe in himself no matter the odds. To believe that the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts was superior in technique than any other martial arts in the world, but that's where his father's influence stopped. Atypical martial arts would be no match for Xi'an. Ranma would need to rely on his special skills to win this fight and to utilise his Chi to its fullest.

And swallow his pride. He gave Ryoga a nod. Wordlessly, Ryoga seemed to read his thoughts and nodded back. They were rivals, but right now they allies against a common deadly foe.

Xi'an fully formed. He had Oro Hiroshi's face and body, but he was dressed as ancient Chinese field general marshall of Xi'an's time era, 1,000 years ago - adorned with a golden breast plate and other assorted armour with a battle helmet. But in his hand was something modern: an egg timer? He held it between forefinger and thumb of his left gloved hand. The mouve sand trickled through the hourglass neck as if counting down time.

What could Xi'an mean by holding that, Ranma wondered. Was it some psychological thing to psych him out, as if that's all the time he gave Ranma and others to live?

Heck, others tried to do the same. But he was never psyched out. He met each challenge with the same fortitude and fought each opponent with all he had. And yet, he had to admit, he was a little freaked out right now. He had never met a more powerful enemy than Xi'an.

He shook his fear away. He'd fight! He'd win! He always did. He always found a way! Eventually.

But he couldn't handle Xi'an like he did Ryoga or Mousse or all his other opponents. Xi'an was different. And flat out aggression wouldn't do it. He'd have to handle this with a little martial arts finesse while at the same time show Xi'an he can't win!

"You may have defeated my generals..." - he looked to Ryoga, and then at Copycat Ken standing in the distance behind him - "...and my dark army, but your pathetic efforts are futile against my power!" Xi'an eyed the timer symbolically. "Time to die, Saotome. You and your father will open the gates of Hell with your deaths and my family will be expunged from an ever-lasting purgatory!"

"Bring it on, Xi'an," Ranma retorted aggressively. "Time to finish this once and for all!"

"Quite true," Xi'an replied. "It's time for me to bring all this to fruition. No more wasting time, no more tricks!"

Genma Saotome suddenly emerged from the Tendo residence. He stood straight and tall, as if about to walk out into battle. His chest was pumped out.  
He was a big man, muscular in stout. When he was a panda, he was fierce looking when angry. Just by his stance now, he looked powerful as human. But in appearance only, Ranma knew.

Ryoga smiled. For a moment, he felt proud to know Ranma's father. Genma Saotome was going to stand by his son's side and face Xi'an. To the bitter end if need be. He wished he had known his father longer to get to know him before his death.

"Pop! Stay there! We'll handle this!" Ranma waved him back.

Genma released a deep breath and then slumped. "I thought you might say that." He smiled relieved. "Good luck, son!" And then ran back into the house.

Ryoga blinked. "How the hell were you trained by such a coward?" he said to Ranma.

Ranma rolled his eyes and hissed out annoyed. "Don't ask. He used to be braver. Now, he's nothin' but big fat coward!" Ranma shouted back.

Genma Saotome was just inside the back door, and he peered out from the wall. "Just preservation, boy! If you die, then I can always sire more children. One of us has to survive. I believe in you, boy! Tak'em down!"

"Maybe you should get a DNA test to see if he's really your father?" Ryoga said.

"I've been waiting a very long time for this," Xi'an spoke godly. "The last descendants of the Saotome Clan will be washed away in a sea of blood, along with your companions." He eyed Ranma distinctly. "Your ancestors banished me and my followers to the depths of Jusenkyo. As a result, such actions also cursed my family into limbo. Past and future generations can never rest unless restitution is made - meaning your deaths!"

"Tell it to someone who cares." Ranma readied himself for an attack. "What I hear is you were bloodthirsty, attacking the Emperor of China. You lost."

"True, but only because of your ancestor's interference. Both of yours!" Xi'an eyed Ranma and Ryoga. "And now the prodigal sons have again joined forces against me once more. This time things will be different. I have take possession of Oro Hiroshi's body and my powers are undeniable. I am the undead resurrected, and I have come for revenge!"

Ranma snorted. "Typical revenge mentality. You sound just like some sadistic cartoon villain. All you power-hungry talk. All you meglomanics want the same thing. Nothing satisfies your thirst for power. But my ancestors are also dead. I can't help you. But if you wanna fight, I can oblige there!"

"You fool! This isn't about fighting. It's about lifting my family's curse and letting them rest in peace, and only by killing the last of the Saotome family line, namely you and your father, will my ancestors be freed. That's all I want!"

"So me and my father have to die just to set some already dead ghosts free? Not gonna happen!"

Ryoga put up a hand, and then said, putting a momentary halt on the aggression happening. "What if there was some way for your ancestors to be set free and Ranma and his father don't have to die? If one such option can be found?"

"Impossible! And this isn't a negotiation!"

"Yeah, man! When did you start talkin' instead of fightin'?" Ranma demanded. "What's with you lately? You've gone soft!"

"Having someone die in your arms makes a man question certain things," Ryoga reflected. "But this isn't the time or place for such things." Mentally focusing on the issue at hand, his face changed. It grew hard and determined. "Let's do this! We fight! Let's take this bastard down!"

Ranma smiled. "That's more like it."

Tbc.


	34. Chapter 33

**CHAPTER 33**

The battle felt like it has lasted for days - whereas it had only been a few _long_ minutes.

Ranma and Ryoga were both exhausted beyond belief. They had thrown everything they had in their respected arsenals at Xi'an, but without an once of success.

Even repeated pummeling's of their most devastating techniques - Ranma's "_Pride of the Fierce Tiger_" and Ryoga's "_the Lion Roar Shot_" - did nothing! It seemed the more "ki" they used, the more their actions weakened them beyond use of _that_ much "ki". Using that much "ki" was basically a short-term use, but using it repeatedly was grounds for lowering their energy levels.

And then it occurred to them both and almost at the same instant - Xi'an was absorbing their "ki" with each shot, using his own dark powers to enhance his own defenses, thus giving the villain unlimited energy to tap and to use -

And he used it!

And with flicks of his wrists, he sent wave after wave of dark, psonic energy at the pair with intent to kill, holding nothing back. The house quaked with explosions and the ground around them it looked like a war zone. The fight had spilled out into the neighboring yards and debris was scattered with craters everywhere!

Oro Hiroshi appeared powerless against the overwhelming power of Xi'an that possessed him, despite being a master of martial artists - he must have been possessed for to long that Xi'an had drained all his will-power - so Oro Hiroshi could no longer fight him. And with over 2,000 years of dark energy - and the collective power of all his minions to fuel his powers - to fight against, it was no wonder Oro Hiroshi had lost. Such a thing would leave anyone at its whim.

And this is what Ryoga feared. For it he couldn't find a way to free his father's friend from Xi'an's influence, he would have to destroy him. And he wanted to explore every avenue before needing to go that far - which was why he was holding back and not using his _full_ "ki" against Xi'an.

"We must use something else on him!" Ryoga urged.

"Like what?" Ranma protested. "We've thrown everything we have at him and it's doin' nuthin'!"

"Let's combine our shots and see what that does. But we only have one shot, he won't let us do it again!"

"Let's do it!" Ranma said without arguing.

They stood side-by-side, and despite it looking corny, they grasped hands and stretched out the other hand - each building their "ki's" to optimum levels, then they folded in, clasping the other (out-stretched) hand, and looking much like gallant gun, their bodies pressed together - they fired!

A huge blast of "ki" launched forth, hitting Xi'an directly in the chest. The blast was enough to knock him back a couple of meters, but not enough to knock him down.

Aghast, Ryoga said, "That's it!" He breathed heavily. "We just used…our best…shot!"

"And failed!" Xi'an laughed. "My powers are absolute! Not even the combined strength of your _ki's_ can defeat me! Now that you have shown me you can't defeat me, all you hold dear will be destroyed!"

"_NO_!" Ryoga cried. "No one will die here, not today! There has been enough destruction today!"

Ranma and Ryoga had separated after the failed shot, but now Ranma looked upon his friend with a new sense of awe. "You have changed, man!"

"For the better, I hope."

"Not sure yet."

Then Ranma looked up and saw the development of a huge ball of negative, depressive energy forming above them, bigger than anything he had ever seen Ryoga grow from his "ki" before. It was so massive that it's shadow encompassed the entire house and those neighboring around it.

"Are you crazy?!" he shouted. "If that comes down, we're all goners! You'll be doin' Xi'an a favor!"

"Trust me! It's time to bring it out."

"What out?"

"_Snake Fist of Depression!_"

"What the hell is that?"

"Something I've been working on, and something that cost the life of a - "

He didn't finish, when Ranma gasped. "What-what the hell is that?"

A tentacle of energy erupted from the massive energy ball and slithered across its surface like a serpent, eventually forming fangs and roaring a war-cry into the sky. Lighting coursed and thunder crackled as if from an angry god.

This was Ryoga didn't want to unleash, but now that he had no choice - it was a technique he had developed deep in the forest at the price of someone who had died in his arms. He thought of person and the rage of what he had done and the depression from all its negative thought fuelled the_ Snake Fist of Depression_.

"I need your help, Ranma. Feed the snake your energy, make it grow!"

"How-but then what?"

"We attack!"

"What about Xi'an?"

Mousse, Copy Cat Ken, and the others, all emerged from the house. "You let us worry about Xi'an," Genma said, finally gathering up courage. "We'll distract him while you build up the energy you need."

"Pop…" Ranma voiced, feeling very proud.

"We have faith in you."

Ranma nodded, then readied himself into a stance to gather up his "ki". As soon as he was ready, he fired bursts of it into the massive ball Ryoga had grown, and it continued to grow, with the serpent swirling around it, protecting it like a egg. Ryoga had to concentrate, so having the others distract Xi'an was perfect.

He saw all his friends gather in front like a shield, and he vowed not to let them down.

"You're pathetic if you think you can stop me!" Xi'an said. "I'll kill you all!"

And it was then all their friends attacked him -

But their onslaught was short-lived, as Xi'an blasted them all back with hand-blasts with dark energy. Each one soared back, hitting the ground hard. Including Akane.

Ryoga's eyes grew red with rage.

"It's now or never, Ryoga!" Ranma demanded.

Xi'an looked up at the massive energy ball with the serpent now looking down at him. "Do you really think _that_ can stop me?!" Xi'an readied himself. "Do your worse, martial artist! When all is said and done, I will still be standing. Then I'll kill you all and finally release my ancestors from eternal damnation!"

"There are worse things than eternal damnation, Xi'an, there's living with your mistakes every day of your life!" Ryoga retorted, and raised his hand, and then dropped it, pointing at Xi'an for the snake to attack the designated target.

The snake soared towards Xi'an at tremendous velocity - the energy from the negative, depressive ball, crackling around its body, fueling it like a missile, or a fist about to strike hard at its enemy. Hence the name.

Xi'an raised his arms in clenched fists in an attempt to form some sort of energy barrier from its attack, but when the _Snake Fist of Depression _finally struck with explosive ferocity and impact, massive winds blasting out in every direction, Xi'an's defense was worthless against it - and in the end, his body - Oro Hiroshi's body - lain collapsed, motionless at the bottom of an massive crater.

What Ryoga had hoped to avoid was necessary. The _Snake Fist of Depression _had killed his father's friend. But he had no choice. A part of him regretted it, but a part of him did not. His friends were now safe, that that included Akane.

Then he saw her on the ground. He had been concentrating so massively on his attack, that he didn't realize they had come out of the house. "Oh my god, what have I done?" Had he killed her too?

It was then that she moved, moaned. Her father came to her side. Ranma explained what had happened, and he felt relieved that everyone was okay when they all started to get up from Xi'an's attack.

But then he felt _something_ otherworldly and its power increasing.

Xi'an was not finished.

And a ghostly apparition appeared above Oro Hiroshi's body.

The ghost was Chinese in nationality of average-height, and thin. He donned ancient military fighting armor. This was Xi'an's true appearance. He looked like an atypical soldier - nothing special. But his power was surmounting even outside of Oro Hiroshi's body.

But Xi'an was no longer a threat, his power level a lot lower without Oro Hiroshi's body to use.

Oro Hiroshi had once told Ryoga that he had felt very guilty that he couldn't be at Ryoga's father's side when he died. They were best friends and that guilt was eating him inside, that he wasn't be there to say "good-bye", and this is what Xi'an had used to fuel his revenge - the depressive power of Oro Hiroshi.

Ryoga knew how powerful depression could be, especially then followed by anger and rage with emotional instability. Oro Hiroshi appeared emotionally stable whenever Ryoga had talked with him, but Xi'an was probably this "stability", using his own emotions to keep Oro Hiroshi's in check.

But now Xi'an didn't have that energy to tap, although he was not short on confidence or determination to avenge his fallen family and comrades.

"You really believe you've defeated me?" the ghost said. "I will just inhabit another body and rebuild my army and grown stronger! You can't kill me!"

"I agree, but death is merely the beginning to an enlightenment that we humans can't achieve until it's our time, a wandering monk once told me this. But we fight on, and on, and on - until that time comes. Whatever doesn't kill us, makes us stronger. However, as a great warrior once said: kill the spirit and the body dies. I accidentally killed a young piglet when practicing in the woods and I held it in my hands as it died. I will never forget that. My spirit weakened that day. To kill an innocent animal is - "

Xi'an laughed. "A piglet? You're joking! You're grief-stricken over a pathetic animal? Animals are for game, slaughtering and eating - not to cry over. They are food!"

"Maybe back in your time, Xi'an, but we've grown civilized!" Ranma retorted, especially when Ryoga was cursed with turning into a black piglet whenever splashed with cold water.

Ryoga nodded a thank-you.

Xi'an mused for a moment. "I do remember some _animal_ along this line when I first inhabited Oro Hiroshi's body, engaging my new found powers, sharpening my skills in the forest. Oro Hiroshi was in the woods on sabbatical. Ah yes, now I remember. I used a small piglet for target practice. He was fast. But not fast enough."

"You what?!"

Ryoga's anger eclipsed that beyond anything he had ever felt before. This spirit - this man - had used a defenseless animal as target practice and then left it to die, only for Ryoga to think he had killed it? It was obviously still alive, but in a lot of pain when Ryoga was in the woods.

This was…this was…he was going to annihilate Xi'an with his _full_ power _now_!

And he used all his rage, all his anger and malice ,and fed off the negative energy. He cupped his palms and sent a massive blast of "ki" directly at the ghost, enveloping Xi'an in its destructive brilliance.

Xi'an was powerless against it, and the last thing heard from the warrior that had caused them so much trouble was a faded cry of "_Nooooooooooo…._"

When the smoke and energy cleared, Xi'an was gone. Completely vanished. And Ryoga, and Ranma could no longer feel the ancient warrior's ghostly energy.

Ryoga had obliterated Xi'an into nothingness. Not only will his soul _never_ rest, completely disintegrated, but his ancestors and warrior minions will forever exist and _suffer_ in the Hell they deserve.

Ripped clothes, bloodied face - Ranma smiled at Ryoga. "Good work, man."

"We did it together. And now I no longer have that piglet on my conscious, I think I can rest easy."

After all injuries were attended to and the damage assessed, Soun Tendo began to cry. It knew he would cost him a lot of money to repair all the damage - and he was on the hook for everything.

But in a total act of charity, and in the light of Oro Hiroshi surviving Xi'an's brutality, despite it had looked like he had perished, that _he_ assumed full responsibility for, Soun Tendo was soon off the hook - Oro Hiroshi paying for all the damages to his home and the neighborhood when construction efforts began.

No one knew really knew just how wealthy Oro Hiroshi was, and he had never told anyone, but he did have a lot of money from other family businesses. But in a decision that he felt was best for all, he had made the decision to leave Nerima and begin a new martial artist school someplace else, so Soun's _Anything-Goes Martial Arts_ dojo can once again thrive. Oro Hiroshi gave Soun some extra money for added expenses for all the trouble he caused the family. More than enough money, in fact, for food for quite some time, for which Oro knew, because of his school in the area battling his for students, had severely cost Soun a lot.

Soun was so happy, he began to cry. Again.

Outside the main gate, Ryoga with his right arm in a sling and his head and face bandaged up, he smiled as his father's friend walked away down the street.

Not much had been said between them after the defeat of Xi'an, but nothing truly needed to be said. He knew he would see Oro Hiroshi again someday.

And as long as he was alive, so was the memory of Ryoga's father.

And for the first time in a _very_ long time, Ryoga's heart was bursting with happiness.

Ranma came out to stand next to Ranma and slapped a hand on Ryoga's shoulder. Ryoga hissed and cringed in pain and growled at him, but did not retaliate.

"Oh, sorry man," Ranma apologized. He, too, was bandaged up heavily, much like Mousse, Shampoo, Copy Cat Ken and the rest. The family had invited Ken to stay for a few days to recuperate, and he didn't refuse. "Will you be okay?"

"Yeah," was all Ryoga said.

The sound of a party was beginning in the house with music and laughter. Everyone deserved a little rest and relaxation and to unwind after recent events. And with the money Oro Hiroshi gave them, they could afford it, many times over.

"So, are you gonna show me that Snake Fist _whatach-ma-call-it _technique, or what?"

"You can't handle it," Ryoga said with smugness.

"Whatcha mean I can't handle it? I can handle anythin' you got, man! What you can do, I can do. _Even_ better!"

But Ryoga just laughed and headed in to the party.

"Hey, get back 'ere!"

And Ranma followed.

**The End.**


End file.
